Getty James Harden #1 of the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Philadelphia 76ers took a hefty gamble by moving for James Harden ahead of last year’s trade deadline. For Harden’s part, the transfer to Philadelphia marked the second such time he forced his way off of a team in as many years, first with the Houston Rockets and then with the Brooklyn Nets.
Now, with the Sixers cruising and Harden back from injury (not to mention Ben Simmons’ struggles in the Empire State), the trade looks like a real win, with nary a peep heard of yet another potential Harden escape. Until now, that is.
ESPN’s Tim MacMahon recently told the Howdy Partners podcast that, in league circles, there’s already some wondering if Harden departs in the summer if Philadelphia can’t get it done this season.
“There’s already been a lot of gossip and dot connecting, ‘Hey, if things don’t work out in Philly, keep an eye out on James Harden back to Houston. I think ‘keep an eye out on that’ is certainly fair. First, let’s see how things work out in Philadelphia, where they’re starting to play really good basketball. Also, does that make sense from a Rockets perspective?”
Given Harden’s past, it would be hardly shocking to see him split from yet another team. But the Rockets?
Harden Has Better Playoff Chances With the Sixers
Harden’s trophy case has just about every possible accolade. League MVP, scoring champ, All-NBA nods, All-Star trophies, Sixth Man of the Year, assist leader, NBA’s 75th Anniversary team, to name just a few.
One thing missing from that case is a Finals ring. That’s because another Harden characteristic is a stunning lack of playoff success. In fact, many of his teams’ greatest postseason moments have come with Harden either injured or subbed out.
With the Giannis Antetokounmpo-led Milwaukee Bucks and seemingly invincible Boston Celtics leading the way in the East, the Sixers certainly have their work cut out for them to make the Finals. But Houston? Really?
The Rockets have the fourth-youngest team in the league this season, with an average age of 23.9, nearly a decade older than Harden (33). The team is closer to studying for a second-period geometry test than it is to competing in an NBA Finals.
Granted, the team has an intriguing mix of youth — Jalen Green, Jabari Smith, Jr., Alperen Sengun — but that’s precisely why Harden wanted off the team in the first place.
Sure, Harden could leave the Sixers, who are loaded with the league’s scoring leader in center Joel Embiid, for the Houston High junior varsity team. But why would he, especially when the early returns on the Harden-Embiid duo have been salivatingly good?
Harden & Embiid Still ‘Figuring Each Other Out’
Since Harden missed a month with a foot injury earlier in the season, the Harden-Embiid tandem has been limited to just 32 games over the last two seasons. That lack of playing time is something Harden is fully aware of.
“I don’t know the amount of games we’ve played together, but it’s not a lot,” Harden said. “Every single game, we’re figuring each other out. Me getting the ball or him getting the ball; our pick-and-roll; how teams are guarding it. It’s like a game-by-game scenario. We just keep building on that. … Just game-by-game scenarios so that at the end of the season, we’ve got a package of things that we’ve seen and this is how we attack different defenses.”
That said, when Harden and Embiid do play together, they form a lethal combination. Sixers lineups featuring both players are a plus-11.3 points per 100 possessions, in the 96th percentile of the league.
And surprisingly, the defense holds up as well when the two are on the court together; Philadelphia’s coughing up just 106.8 points per 100 possessions with the pair on the floor, in the 94th percentile of the league.
two of the best in the game.
Can the two hold up over a full postseason? It remains (arguably) the biggest question facing Philadelphia. Relying on two players with sketchy injury records is a big ask and the team’s efficiency drops dramatically when both are off the floor.