BROOKLYN, NY — The dribble handoff has been one of the biggest methods of choice for Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey as the Philadelphia 76ers stars learn to punish defenses together.

Maxey taking on a larger role has given him chances to grow with Embiid. They showed their development as a tandem in the Sixers' most recent win over the Brooklyn Nets. Having quick-hitting actions to get right into has been huge for the Sixers as they hover near the top of the NBA's leaderboard in offensive rating.

When asked about the dribble handoff with Maxey, Embiid said they had been working to incorporate it together with trainer Drew Hanlen. The key to it, he said, is how fast Maxey is and how tough it is to guard him.

“I just think he's hard to guard. With his speed, he's tough to guard,” Embiid said. “So, just looking at it and working together. He's such a great shooter, so anytime he's coming off of it and the big is back, that's an easy shot. Then if the big steps up, he's so quick to get by whoever is guarding him. Or if they just sag and they're pushing inside the three-point line, now we got the pocket pass, which I've been missing a lot of 'em, but I'll work on it and I'll get better.”

Embiid assisted Maxey twice on his way to a season-high nine assists to go along with 32 points and 12 rebounds. The big man's playmaking opened up everything for the Sixers as they diced up the Nets defense. His teammates are noticing the increased desire Embiid has to facilitate in the offense.

“Just from even the start of the season, I've seen a jump in his passing ability,” De'Anthony Melton said. “He's passing, but now he's passing even more on the money. Like, now he's passing better for shooters and it's showing.”

Embiid's 6.2 assists per game are a career-high by a big margin. His 3.5 turnovers per game are roughly the same as his previous seasons. Philly's increased focus on player and ball movement has unlocked a new level of Embiid that should hold up better in the playoffs.

Nick Nurse and Embiid both discussed the desire for the Sixers' offense to result in finding the open man as often as possible. The big man has drawn multiple defenders throughout his career and is now doing a much better job at finding teammates out of aggressive defense.

“That's kinda offense in this league: when they send two [defenders] to your primary scorer, you gotta get things figured out,” Nurse said. “And we're making some progress there.”

The Sixers have plenty of ways they can deploy Embiid and Maxey. Already, they are one of basketball's best duos in terms of collective talent and effectiveness together.