With the NBA Playoffs starting on April 15, Michael Pina of The Ringer previewed every single first-round matchup by asking a pivotal question about each series. When he previewed the Philadelphia 76ers‘ first-round matchup against the Brooklyn Nets, Pina asked, “How healthy is James Harden?”
Pina noted that Harden’s production towards the tail end of the season was enigmatic on top of a reported new injury that head coach Doc Rivers claims to have healed.
“Harden missed six of Philadelphia’s final 11 games. In the ones he suited up for, Harden was up and down (by the extremely high standards he’s previously set) while reportedly dealing with a sore Achilles that, per Rivers, is now all better.”
Pina added that if Harden is not healthy, that could pose problems for the Sixers’ matchup against Harden’s former team.
“How healthy is Harden? And if he’s not, are the Sixers in trouble? The Nets have a swarming defense that’s full of long, physical on-ball defenders who will do their damnedest to neutralize a Harden–Joel Embiid pick-and-roll by switching, helping, blitzing, and executing a diverse game plan. Brooklyn also has the personnel to stay in front and bother Harden in isolation. Mikal Bridges, Dorian Finney-Smith, Cam Johnson, and Nic Claxton are all more than capable of surviving on an island, especially during minutes when Embiid is on the bench.”
James Harden’s Issues Could Lead to Tougher Series
Pina added that while the Sixers have enough offensive talent to persevere should Harden struggle, his possible issues may lead to a tougher series against the Nets.
“Philadelphia has enough supplementary offensive options (Tyrese Maxey, Tobias Harris) to complement its own stifling defense and win this series, but if Harden can’t explode to the rim, get to the free throw line, or do anything on defense except impersonate a traffic cone, this matchup could be more competitive than people think,” Pina said.
In last year’s playoffs, Harden averaged 18.6 points, 8.5 assists, and 5.7 rebounds in 12 games. In that same time, Harden shot 40.5% from the field and 36.8% from three while surrendering 4.2 turnovers a game.
While they could survive the Nets series with Harden injured, the Sixers are going to need Harden to be at his best if they’re going to make a run at the NBA title this season.
James Harden Desires Title Among Accomplishments
In an interview with Franklyn Calle of SLAM Magazine, Harden was asked about which accomplishment he’s had that he’s the proudest of as a player. Harden revealed that he couldn’t answer that one question because there’s one milestone he hasn’t reached.
“The one I want,” Harden said to Calle, “hasn’t happened yet, so let’s revisit when I win a championship.”
The closest Harden has come to a championship was in 2012, in his last year with the Oklahoma City Thunder, where they made it all the way to the NBA Finals but lost to the Miami Heat in five games. Since then, Harden has made two appearances in the conference finals with the Houston Rockets in 2015 and 2018.
Harden sounds confident that he will have an NBA title on his resume when he walks away from his NBA career, though he did not specify if he believes that will happen with the Sixers.
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Sixers Issued Warning About James Harden’s Injury Ahead of Playoff Run