Through tons of ups and downs through the 2022 portion of the 2022-23 season, the Philadelphia 76ers are right about where most people expected them to be. Joel Embiid is an MVP candidate, James Harden looks better than last season (though he is also clearly not a superstar anymore) and the Sixers are a good team.

The Sixers have dealt with injuries to each of their key players but have trudged along and find themselves with one of the better records in the league entering he new year. The areas they can improve in will play a pivotal role in determining their ceiling. There's no better time to start working on those good habits than the beginning of a new year.

While each of the Sixers players has many, many things to work on, there are some things they can do collectively to get the most out of the group. As they begin 2023 with a three-game homestand — the first game of which resulted in a big win — here are three new year's resolutions for the Sixers.

Shoot more triples

The Sixers are one of the better 3-point shooting teams this season in terms of efficiency. They can get their offense to a higher level if they shoot even more from downtown. Despite being fifth in percentage, they're 15th in attempts per game.

The return of Tyrese Maxey should make this resolution easier to achieve given his ability to shoot from deep and open space for others to do so. Tobias Harris' willingness to take on a more catch-and-shoot-centric role has made him a key marksman, as are De'Anthony Melton and Georges Niang. Only four players who are regularly in the rotation (Embiid, Matisse Thybulle, Danuel House Jr. and Montrezl Harrell) shoot below 37 percent from deep. A team with so many solid shooters should play into that strength.

Although the Sixers don't need to become the ideal Moreyball team and start launching from downtown more than the rest of the league, they should look to get their 3-pointers up. Making teams respect the shooters surrounding the stars gives the stars more opportunities to help the team score.

Get better at rebounding

One area the Sixers really struggle in is rebounding — and it's not a new concern by any stretch. They are middle-of-the-pack when it comes to defensive rebounding percentage and are even worse in rebounds per game. It's a bit concerning to see a team that boxes out more often than most of the other squads be so ineffective at rebounding.

The one key way the Sixers can improve at rebounding is to just play better defense. Being porous at the point of attack means taking their bigger players, namely Embiid, away from the paint, thus opening up more rebounding opportunities for the opposition. But it will also take Embiid and the rest of the Sixers players to make even more efforts to box out and contest for rebounds.

Offensive rebounding was not designed to be one of the Sixers' key strengths. Embiid isn't under the hoop as often as most centers and no one else in the starting lineup is well-equipped to be a great rebounder. That's a very forgeable sin, though. Doing it on the defensive end is not. That's where they can find themselves losing control of games.

Whether it's locking down more on defense, playing Paul Reed more often, trading for someone like Jarred Vanderbilt or some combination of things, the Sixers have to get better at cleaning the glass.

Keep running Joel Embiid-James Harden pick-and-rolls

This resolution isn't to fix a weakness but to improve on a strength. Leading up to the new year, the Sixers have already been rocking with the Embiid-Harden pick-and-rolls. The two stars have clicked tremendously thanks to their ability to work together.

Harden is still one of the better players in the NBA but has struggled to create separation, even against not-so-intimidating defenders. Having Embiid to help him get a lane is huge, as is Embiid's ability to pop back for a triple, hover in the paint for a shot (or another swinging pass) or get to the hoop. Harden's playmaking paired with Embiid's scoring is deadly for defenses, especially as they tinker with the alignments of the surrounding players.

The Sixers should really hone in on this resolution near the end of close games. The offense looks far, far too discombobulated for a unit featuring two star-level creators. In clutch situations, they cough up the ball far too often and don't get enough clean looks at shots. They shouldn't overcomplicate things. Stick with what works and what is easy to get into. Especially around playoff time, they will have to remain calm in crunch time and execute on offense.