From Oct. 29 through Nov. 28, the Philadelphia 76ers, despite Joel Embiid, James Harden and Tyrese Maxey missing a combined 26 games, went 11-5 and touted the league’s third-ranked net rating (plus-5.0). Fueling them was an NBA-best defensive rating of 106.5, more than two points clear of the second-place Milwaukee Bucks (108.7).
Over the past three games, the Sixers are 0-3 with a minus-14.6 net rating, despite Embiid, Harden and Maxey only missing a combined four games. A 24th-ranked offense is undoubtedly a culprit. Between Harden and Maxey being sidelined for those first two losses and an unimaginative scheme, the offense has generally looked stuck in the mud.