Getty James Harden #1 of the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Philadelphia 76ers put on a show without Joel Embiid against the Detroit Pistons on Sunday. James Harden was instrumental in the win, grabbing a 20-11-11 triple-double en route to Philly’s 123-111 win.
It’s a good sign from a player whose long-term commitment to Philadelphia has come under speculation. Last month, it was reported that Harden might be interested in a Houston Rockets reunion, should Philly once again suffer an early playoff exit, with ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski describing Harden’s future as “fluid.”
But Harden isn’t worried about those rumors. Nor is he worried about any lack of credit he’s getting in Philadelphia.
“I don’t need the credit,” said Harden, per Ky Carlin of Sixers Wire. “I don’t really care. I guess people give credit to who they want to give credit to. You know what I mean? Like, they pick and choose who they want to give credit to.”
Harden continued by explaining that he’s keeping his head down and working hard, letting the rest of the world
“If I was to sit there and feel some type of way that I wasn’t getting any credit, I wouldn’t be doing a million other things that I’m supposed to be doing,” Harden said. “I focus on what I can control. I go out there and do my job and try to be the best James Harden I can be.”
Harden’s Been a Difference Maker for Philadelphia
Though he may not be getting the brunt of the MVP attention in Philadelphia (that honor belongs to Embiid), there’s no denying the Sixers have been monumentally better with him on the floor than without. Since coming back from injury, the Sixers are 12-4; in the 15 games without him, the team went 8-7.
His on/off stats are also strong. Harden ranks second among the starters in expected win total (plus-14) and leads the team in points per 100 possessions (plus-7.0).
Today is exactly 4 years ago since the famous “JAMES HARDEN A FLAMETHROWER” game, what a time man … 🥲
And while Harden might not feel as though he’s getting enough credit from some sources, he’s certainly been praised by opposing coaches.
“He’s one of the best one-on-one players in the history of the game,” Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said a few weeks back, per Justin Grasso of si.com. “He won the MVP essentially being the guy that put the Houston Rockets team upon his back and just was the creator of a lot. There was, a lot of it was pick-and-roll, but a lot of it was just flat-out manufacturing off the dribble, which is hard to do. You know, there’s just a few guys in the game that have that capability.”
Sixers Moving Harris Ahead of Trade Deadline?
Maybe if the Sixers win a championship Harden will feel like he’s given full credit. But to get to that promised land, the Sixers might have to go out and make one or two more moves.
Enter Tobias Harris.
Since what feels like the moment the ink dried on his five-year, $180 million deal three summers ago, Harris’ contract has hung like an albatross around the front office’s neck. Since then, there have been myriad reports about Harris’ reported availability.
And according to Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes, the Sixers have once again commenced feeling out league interest in Harris.
With this bucket, James Harden becomes the 27th player in NBA history with 24,000 career points 🙌
Congrats, James 👏
“[T]he one player that’s always had to adjust is Tobias Harris. Sometimes he gets ten or more shot attempts, a lot of times he doesn’t, but he’s the one who’s asked to sacrifice the most. So, with that being said, Philly has definitely, they have definitely taken calls on Tobias, that’s what I do know. I don’t think they’re actively trying to trade Tobias, but they’re open to listening. You know, this is Daryl Morey we’re talking about, you know, he’s one of the most creative guys we have at executing, you know, trades that may be complicated for most,” Haynes said on Friday.
That said, it would be surprising to see Philadelphia make a major move before the deadline. The Sixers are right over the luxury tax line, meaning the team could save itself quite a bit of money by simply moving Furkan Korkmaz for a smaller salary.