James Harden already looks as if he is living his best life on the 76ers. From what we have seen so far this may be the best fit for him yet. Although he was alongside Kevin Durant and Kyrie, he is better when he has more power on the court. In his first two games on the 76ers, Harden has 56 points, 18 rebounds, and 28 assists, earning a triple-double vs the Knicks.
He offers something that Ben Simmons didn’t, he can shoot the ball. One thing I never really understood is how a professional NBA player doesn’t have a jump shot. Not to say Simmons isn’t a great player but if he had a decent three-point shot he’d probably be one of the league’s most valuable players; the three-pointer is extremely valuable in today’s NBA.
Harden’s effect has been felt immediately. The 76ers look like a more skilled team and have chemistry. Harden’s highlights from his first two games are impressive, including this and-1.
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— Belly Up Basketball (@HoopsBellyUp) February 26, 2022
At first glance, this trade has been great for the MVP candidate Joel Embiid. In his first two games with Harden, Embiid has 71 points and 19 rebounds. Having Harden will loosen the load for Embiid. He won’t be the only option on the floor to take the game-winning shot, and he will be able to spend more time in the paint.
The argument around Ben Simmons being the better playmaker isn’t holding up too well right now. Harden is currently number two in the league in assists on the year, only trailing CP3. He is also a factor on defense as he recorded five steals vs the Knicks.
Simmons has been injured and hasn’t played at all this year, so we’ll have to wait to see his immediate impact. It’s hard to believe he will have as much early success as Harden. The hope is that he shows lots of progress over the year and into the offseason.
It is difficult to speculate what his exact role will be with the Nets. Although, he may be a better fit than Harden. He won’t be crowding space on the perimeter and he will have more of a focus on driving to the rim.
Looking Forward
Looking forward, I think Harden is a better fit for and on the Sixers. The more he has the basketball in his hands the better. He won’t be taking 40 shots a game like on the Rockets and he won’t be watching KD or Kyrie dribble. He has a healthy medium on the Sixers
Lastly, Harden has a new head coach in Doc Rivers that is absolutely an upgrade from Steve Nash. No disrespect to Nash, he just doesn’t compare with Doc’s experience at this point in his coaching career.
It’s early and the Timberwolves and Knicks aren’t the best teams in the league but the Sixers are in third place in the East and the number one seed is in reach. The 76ers play the Nets on March 10th.
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