The Sixers’ chemistry is at its best: ‘Guys want to play with each other’

Chemistry is a very underrated thing in basketball.

With 15 guys coming from varying backgrounds on standard NBA contracts, chemistry is so important. It’s not only on the court, but the players have to get along away from the court. Great chemistry could translate to five more wins in a season.

For most of Joel Embiid’s tenure, the 76ers’ team chemistry has been dreadful.

That was one of the after-effects of The Process. During that time, everyone looked out for themselves. And off the court, players were getting in trouble. It was just a terrible time.

» READ MORE: The Sixers became a better team without James Harden. And they did it together.

It appears that the remnants of that culture are finally dissipating.

The Sixers improved to 9-3 after defeating the Atlanta Hawks, 126-116, Friday night at State Farm Arena. It is their best record through 12 games since going 9-3 to start the 2011-12 season. The Sixers are in second place in the Eastern Conference standings, one game behind the Boston Celtics.

“It’s a lot of credit to the culture that we have,” Embiid said earlier this season. “No one has an ego on this team. We got new guys, we took them in, we got them up to speed. I think the fact that guys want to play with each other and they like being around each other, I think it helps a lot, too.

“Guys are unselfish, the ball is moving no matter if the shots are going in or not. Guys are just happy, just worried about the right things — which is to win. That’s the only thing that matters and that’s the only thing that should matter.”

The Sixers added depth when acquiring Nicolas Batum, Robert Covington, Marcus Morris, and KJ Martin in a package from the Los Angeles Clippers on Nov. 1 in a three-team deal that sent James Harden and P.J. Tucker to L.A.

Following the trade, the Sixers have some similarities to the 2000-01 squad, which reached the NBA Finals.

» READ MORE: Nick Nurse supports Kelly Oubre Jr. as questions swirl around hit-and-run incident: ‘I’m going to believe him at his word’

Those Sixers had the league MVP in Allen Iverson leading a roster loaded with selfless role players. This season’s squad has a reigning MVP in Embiid surrounded by selfless role players.

The difference is Embiid has Tyrese Maxey as a running mate. The point guard has the ability to take over games in a way no secondary player could do on a regular basis for the 2000-01 squad.

Dikembe Mutombo and Aaron McKie were Iverson’s co-stars. The Sixers acquired Mutombo and Roshown McLeod on Feb. 22, 2001 from the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for Toni Kukoč, Nazr Mohammed, Theo Ratliff, and Pepe Sánchez.

Mutombo nabbed one of his four defensive player of the year awards that season. The Hall of Famer also garnered All-Star and second team All-NBA honors. The 7-foot-2, 260-pounder averaged 11.7 points, 12.4 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks in 26 games as a Sixer. Meanwhile, McKie averaged 11.6 points as the Sixth Man of the Year. The North Philly native scored 20 or more points in 10 games.

But Iverson, who averaged a league-best 31.1 points, provided most of the offensive workload. Iverson was surrounded by a roster full of excellent role players in George Lynch, Eric Snow, Tyrone Hill, and Matt Geiger.

This season, Embiid is the league’s leading scorer at 31.9 points per game. Maxey is 10th at 26.9 points. And Maxey’s 50-point effort against the Indiana Pacers on Nov. 12 are the third-most points scored in a game this season.

The Sixers also have solid scoring options in Tobias Harris (20.3 points) and the injured Kelly Oubre Jr. (16.3). The rest of the roster is loaded with gritty role players, similar to those from 2000-01. And everyone knows, with the departure of Harden and Ben Simmons and Jimmy Butler before him, that this is now undoubtedly Embiid’s team. That’s markedly different from Embiid’s previous seven seasons.

» READ MORE: Tyrese Maxey not surprised by star turn or 50-point performance: ‘This is what I worked for’

He had power struggle with Simmons in regards to whose team it was for most of his first four seasons. Simmons was traded to the Brooklyn Nets for Harden on Feb. 10, 2022.

Embiid and Harden had a solid pick-and-roll pairing. However, there was a point early last season when it was hard to pinpoint whose team it was. And wanting more basketball freedom was part of the reason Harden wanted to sign with the Houston Rockets in free agency. He eventually opted into the final year of his contract to facilitate a trade to the Clippers.

It’s good that Embiid knows this is undoubtedly his team. But it’s more important that every player knows that it’s his team. They know he’s the guy, and they’re trying to help him win a championship.

Maxey is the next guy. Still young, the 23-year-old will continue to earn his way. But as an emerging star, he’s expected to one day take the baton from Embiid. And Embiid might be his biggest fan, which is great for the culture.

“I don’t see any egos,” Jaden Springer said. “Everybody just wants to win. That’s the vibe I’m getting. In the locker room, on the court, everybody wants to win. And I feel like that’s been showing so far this season.”