Do Sixers Have a Top Star Duo With Joel Embiid, James Harden?

With the rise of the superteam in the NBA, many tend to focus more on the star groups when it comes to a franchise. For the Philadelphia 76ers, they have been headlined by the reigning MVP Joel Embiid and the former MVP James Harden over the last two seasons.

Heading into the 2023-2024 NBA season, the Sixers could trot out the Harden-Embiid duo for another run. In the event they do so, will Embiid and Harden be viewed as one of the top star duos in the league?

Recently, Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz ranked the league’s best star duos from fifth to best. Although Harden and Embiid were mentioned, they did not land in the top five.

Here’s what Swartz wrote about the Sixers’ stars:

"Statistically speaking, Embiid and Harden were one of the NBA's best duos last season and could still be successful if kept together. Harden's desire to be traded, however, could affect future chemistry even if he's not moved before the start of the season. … Embiid and Harden had the highest combined EPA of any duo on this entire list last season (12.4) and ranked second in the group in EW (27.4). … This duo was really, really good together but will likely have broken up before the 2023-24 season kicks off. Still, their significant on-court success deserves a shoutout here."

As unstoppable as Embiid and Harden were at times last season, they couldn’t figure out how to maximize their talents when the games counted the most.

In the second-round series against the Boston Celtics, the Sixers took the defending Eastern Conference Champions to a Game 7. Unfortunately for Philly, they couldn’t end the drought and failed to advance past the second round once again.

To make matters worse for the Sixers, the second playoff run, including the Harden-Embiid duo, was likely the last. Although Harden’s currently under contract with the Sixers, he desires a change of scenery at some point next season. Even if they do get some run in year three as a collective, the Sixers are likely to split them up at some point.

Philadelphia will continue searching for another key star to replace Harden, but there’s a high chance the Sixers shift their focus towards building up a notable duo of Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey.

Although Maxey doesn’t have an All-Star appearance following his first three seasons in the league, he’s viewed as a budding star in the City of Brotherly Love. Perhaps, Harden’s eventual departure could help the Sixers fast-track the process of developing Maxey into a household name around the NBA.