The Philadelphia 76ers' identity is simple: let James Harden and Joel Embiid cook. After getting acquainted over the back half of last season and stumbling out of the gates to start this one, the Sixers' stars no longer look like guys just taking turns. They are building a fantastic connection.

Harden and Embiid have worked hard to figure out the best way they can work together. The pick-and-roll has been the main way they attack defenses. The results so far are nothing short of spectacular. Embiid rolling to open space after setting a firm screen, whether it be at the rim or somewhere in the midrange, and Harden's ability to either find a pass to that window or take it in or a shot himself is giving NBA defenses trouble.

With a supporting cast that can step up for big minutes/performances when needed, the Sixers are starting to make people believe this is truly their best chance (at least since the iteration of the team featuring Jimmy Butler) to make a real playoff run. The numbers show that the connection between Joel Embiid and James Harden is nothing short of outstanding.

5. Masters of their respective crafts

Let's start it off simply with the facts that Embiid is one of the best scorers the NBA has to offer and Harden is almost equally as impressive with his playmaking.

At 33.6 points per game, Embiid is tied with Luka Doncic for the scoring crown. The fact that the Sixers' big man averages almost three fewer minutes per game than Doncic suggests that he has indeed been the most dangerous scorer so far this season on a per-possession basis. He is shooting 53.7 percent from the field, 35.2 percent from deep and 85.6 percent from the free-throw line.

Harden's 11.2 assists per game lead the league by a full assist. He falls just a few games short of the requirement to be an official leader (playing in 70 percent of a team's games) but just three more played games would have done the trick. Admittedly, he plays more minutes per game than second-place holder Tyrese Haliburton but that assist figure is still something to marvel at.

The only other team to have a player in the top five of each category is the Dallas Mavericks, as Doncic is truly a one-man show to behold. Armed with one of the best playmakers and scorers, it's no wonder that the Sixers have had one of the best offenses in the league over roughly the last two months, when the partnership has truly started to blossom.

4. No duo is as dynamic

So, Embiid is a great scorer and Harden is a great playmaker, but do their skills truly combine to form a strong attack? Yes. A million percent, yes.

Harden has assisted Embiid 127 times so far this season. According to PBP stats, no passer-scorer combination has linked up for more buckets. The next place on the leaderboard belongs to Haliburton and Buddy Hield, who have produced 107 buckets as a tandem. What's extra impressive about the Sixers duo's ranking is that they haven't played nearly as many games as other duos near the top of the leaderboard — they're at 24 while the others are approaching or at 40. Their pick-and-roll is developing into something special.

The Sixers showed how great it is to have a duo that can generate points this easily on their recent road trip. At the end of close games to the Utah Jazz and Los Angeles Lakers, Philadelphia went to the EmBeard pick-and-roll. It paid off, resulting in one-point wins with the final buckets thanks to the tremendous tandem.

3. Joel Embiid's efficiency on the rise

The Sixers stars are not only playing more in sync but are also reaching (or getting pretty darn close to) new heights in scoring efficiency.

Joel Embiid's scoring has never been more efficient. His career-best true shooting percentage of 64.4 percent is almost four percentage points higher than his career average. One factor is that he is shooting a career-best 57.0 percent on two-pointers, including 79.1 percent on shots within three feet of the hoop. He has also continued to be highly effective from the midrange.

Harden's playmaking can be directly attributed here (and so should Embiid's willingness to alter his shot profile and make such shots). Early in Sixers possessions, he can be found running the floor expecting a touchdown pass or sealing off his defender from the basket for a pass to be dropped into. Having an elite playmaker like Harden is allowing him to explore new, easier ways to pile up points.

2. James Harden's 3-point excellence

Meanwhile, James Harden's 3-point percentage of 38.0 percent is the second-highest of his career. His only season that tops it came in the 2011-12 season, when he was the NBA's Sixth Man of The Year. While he mostly spends time finding shots for the Sixers' collection of floor-spacers, he occasionally finishes plays himself with a stand-still triple.

Fueling his efficiency bump is his 43.5-percent clip on catch-and-shoot triples. He attempts 1.5 of those shots per game, the most he has attempted since the 2017-18 season. Catch-and-shoot threes make up 20 percent of his looks, a massive increase from the days where all but a few of his 12-or-so attempts from deep would be off the bounce.

While Tobias Harris' commitment to becoming more of a catch-and-shoot threat is more commonly discussed (and rightly praised), Harden opting for such looks more frequently deserves to be recognized as well. Embiid having so much gravity helps him get off such looks, as does that of Tyrese Maxey. Being more of an off-ball threat can go a long way as he continues to get acclimated with Philly.

1. They're just getting started

Since being traded to the Sixers a little less than a year ago, Harden and Embiid have both suffered numerous injuries. Because of them, the stars have played in only 55 total games together.

In the 24 games that both Embiid and Harden have played together this season, the Sixers are 16-8 overall and 14-3 in the games following Harden's return to the court after suffering a foot injury. Although it's true that their schedule hasn't been super tough, the results have been just what one would want from a team desperate to make a championship push — the team is winning and its stars are meshing.

Skepticism over this duo and this Sixers team will remain until they can make this work in the playoffs, which is understandable given how the past few years have shaken out. Joel Embiid and James Harden are eager to solve the problem of how to win in the postseason. No one should be surprised if they have figured out the answer — and then some — by that point.