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Philadelphia 76ers backcourt duo is failing Joel Embiid

What's the Philadelphia 76ers' championship window now?

Philadelphia 76ers, Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, James Harden (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)

Sixers: 3 takeaways from spineless Game 5 loss to Raptors by Christopher Kline

The losses in Games 4 and 5 aren’t ideal for a Philadelphia 76ers who were up 3-0 before the two consecutive losses against the Toronto Raptors. Most fans will point to the injury to Joel Embiid being the primary reason why Philly has come up short.

There’s no denying that Embiid’s injury has slowed him down. He’s averaging 20.5 points in the two games since the injury versus 27.7 points in the first three games of the series. However, despite the injury, the Sixers have more than enough firepower to get past the Raptors and it starts with their backcourt.

The Philadelphia 76ers’ backcourt isn’t stepping up in light of Embiid’s injury.

Let’s be clear, there’s a strong argument that the 76ers have the best backcourt in the Eastern Conference. Despite James Harden not being the generational scorer he once was, he’s still the second best playmaker in the NBA behind Chris Paul who is the “point god”.

Tyrese Maxey is one of the most improved players in the NBA this season. He’s one of the quickest players in the NBA who actually can shoot as well. On top of that, they complement each other with Harden’s playmaking and Maxey’s scoring.

In the three wins, Harden averaged 18.3 points, 10.0 assists, and 3.0 turnovers, while converting 7-15 3-pointers. Maxey had averaged 26.6 points on 47.3 percent shooting from deep. That’s the type of production that will help the 76ers win even with Embiid’s injury.

However, in the two losses, the duo has struggled mightily. Harden has averaged 18.5 points, 8.0 assists, and 4.5 turnovers while going 4-14 from downtown. Maxey has struggled just averaging 11.5 points on 1-6 shooting from behind the arc.

That simply won’t get it done for the Philadelphia 76ers with an injured Embiid. Both of their dynamic guards will need to step up…

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