Joel Embiid is second in the NBA in scoring at 33.5 points per game. James Harden is an assist machine, producing 10.8 per game. And the 76ers extended their home winning streak to 11 games with Wednesday's 129-126 overtime victory against the Indiana Pacers at the Wells Fargo Center.
None of this matters.
While all of those things are impressive, none of them will amount to a hill of beans should the Sixers (23-14), once again, suffer another early postseason exit.
The Sixers' recent seasons have played out like a continuous cycle. They begin with hype. Then the individual accolades, regular-season victories, and memorable moments are celebrated. But in the postseason, when things really matter, the Sixers can't advance beyond the second round of the playoffs.
The only change made from season to season has been the cast of costars and role players surrounding Embiid. The annual upgrade comes with excitement and the assumption that the next postseason will be better than the last.
The Sixers struggle with turnovers, a weakness that has directly affected their win column
This season's new crop of saviors are P.J. Tucker, De'Anthony Melton, Montrezl Harrell, and Danuel House Jr.
But no matter whose name is on the back of the jersey, second-round exits are the Sixers' albatross. Dating back to 1986, they've won a second-round series only once in the franchise's last 12 appearances. The Sixers beat the Toronto Raptors in seven games in 2001 and finished as an NBA Finals runner-up.
That's why the Sixers' countless regular-season milestones have lost their luster and become minuscule when the bigger picture is considered.
There was plenty of excitement during the 2017-18 season when coach Brett Brown led the Sixers to a 52-30 record and their first postseason appearance since 2011-12. They set an NBA record with 16 consecutive wins to conclude a regular season and finished third in the East. The Sixers advanced to the conference semifinals before losing in five games to the Boston Celtics. Not bad for a squad that had tanked the previous four seasons.
The following season, the starting lineup of Jimmy Butler, Tobias Harris, JJ Redick, Ben Simmons, and Embiid were Sports Illustrated's cover boys for the Feb. 25, 2019, issue, titled "Process This: The Sixers Are Finally All In." That team finished 51-31 and third in the conference but concluded the campaign with another conference semifinals loss. This time, it was in seven games to the Raptors. Brown was fired after the Sixers were swept by the Celtics in the first round of the playoffs in a COVID-19 shortened 2019-20 season.
The introductions of coach Doc Rivers, a future Hall of Famer, and president of basketball operations Daryl Morey, one of the most renowned executives in professional sports, came before the 2020-21 season and were supposed to change the team's postseason fate.
The fan base was wildly enthusiastic when the Sixers went on to win the conference's 2021 regular-season title in another COVID-19 shortened season.
That excitement was short-lived as the team suffered another second-round exit, losing in seven games to the Atlanta Hawks.
The Sixers did the same thing last season, losing in six games to the Miami Heat. That came after being tied with the Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks for the conference's second-best record at 51-31. It was also a season in which Embiid finished as the league's scoring champion at 30.6 points per game and was MVP runner-up for a second straight year.
Sixers' Joel Embiid named NBA Eastern Conference player of the month for December
That's why it's hard to get excited about the Sixers' regular-season success when they've done this before only to suffer another second-round exit.
But like in the past, this season is supposed to be different.
They re-signed Harden, a future Hall of Famer, to form a Big Three with Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. Tucker was lured away from the Heat because of his NBA championship pedigree and toughness. They acquired Melton via a draft-night trade with the Memphis Grizzlies for his ability to make three-pointers, defend, and play alongside Harden and Maxey. And Harrell, the 2020 sixth man of the year, and House were signed to help bolster a depleted bench.
The preseason expectation was that the Sixers would compete with the Celtics and Bucks for conference supremacy. However, they're in fifth place, one game behind the fourth-place Cleveland Cavaliers. Meanwhile, the Celtics, Bucks, and Brooklyn Nets are the top three teams.
With 45 games remaining, the Sixers still have plenty of time to make up ground on Boston (26-12), Milwaukee (25-13), Brooklyn (25-13), and Cleveland (25-14).
The Sixers opened the season with a starting lineup of Harris, Tucker, Embiid, Harden, and Maxey. The group has played together only eight times with just six starts because of injuries. The Sixers have played only two games since Oct. 29 with their full complement of key players.
Embiid, who missed Wednesday's game with left foot soreness, is listed as day-to-day.
Once he returns, this month will be the Sixers' first real opportunity to look at their full roster heading into the Feb. 9 trade deadline. Individual performances and how certain lineups mesh could influence what roster adjustments the Sixers will make in hope of a deep postseason run.
NBA championship odds: 76ers still a relative long shot to win the title
Along the way, Embiid will continue to contend for his second straight scoring title. Harden may nab a second assists title. And the standouts could become the first pair of teammates to win those titles in the same season since 1982, when the San Antonio Spurs' George Gervin won the scoring title and Johnny Moore led the league in assists per game.
The Sixers pair would go down in history by sweeping those awards. The team could also go on another extended winning streak and post several victories over title contenders. Embiid might even have another 50-plus-point performance in him.
But in the end, none of that will matter if this team fails to advance beyond the second round.
At this stage, it's conference finals or bust for the Sixers.
