In what was projected to be an easy victory by most, the Philadelphia 76ers fell flat on their face on Thursday night against the Detroit Pistons.

Joel Embiid posted his usual MVP-level stat line with 37 points and 15 rebounds on an efficient 11-for-19 from the field and 14-for-16 from the free throw line. But aside from some middling contributions from Tobias Harris and Tyrese Maxey, he didn't get much support.

The lack of bench production stands out from the box score as the Sixers only got eight bench points in total. The Pistons had three different players score more than that from their own reserves. When asked about Philly's lack of punch from the pine, Doc Rivers surprisingly deflected the blame more towards James Harden.

“They didn't struggle. They didn't get a lot of shots in their defense. I think during that stretch it was more James than them. Yeah, it's just a tough night,” said the Sixers coach.

https://twitter.com/NBCSPhilly/status/1509712255037943810

While the bench didn't produce much offensively for the Sixers, Doc Rivers was right in that they just flat out weren't getting many opportunities as the starters took the reins on offense. No bench player took more than three shots on the evening as they combined to go just 3-for-12 from the field.

James Harden's lack of productivity was indeed more glaring against a Pistons team that he should be expected to carve up. The Beard finished with 18 points on an equally brutal 4-for-15 shooting clip and 2-for-9 from the three-point arc.

While Doc Rivers wasn't wrong in that James Harden was a weak link for the Sixers in their loss, it's surprising to hear him admit it so candidly. After all, that's one reason that spurred the Ben Simmons saga that lasted for months in Philadelphia, one that resulted in James Harden coming to town in the first place.

Via Noah Levick of NBC Sports Philadelphia:

Asked later if Simmons could be a point guard on a championship team, Rivers did not offer an endorsement of a player he praised so often this season for valuable non-scoring contributions.

“I don’t know that question or the answer to that right now,” he said. “I don’t know the answer to that.”

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After a scorching hot start to the James Harden era in Philadelphia wherein they won their first five games with him in action, they've largely cooled off of late. They've gone 6-5 in Harden's games since then and find themselves mired in a three-game losing streak after falling off against Detroit.

James Harden isn't exactly the most amenable NBA superstar in the league today. The man just left not one, but two teams in the rearview mirror before ending up with the Sixers. The comments aren't exactly the most pointed criticism he's ever received, but the fact that it's coming from his own coach probably makes it sting just a little bit more.

The Philadelphia 76ers still have title aspirations and two of the best players in the NBA alongside a deep supporting cast. One bad loss against the Pistons isn't going to change that. But the vibes clearly aren't as immaculate as they were when Joel Embiid first bought into the Scary Hours to come.