Getty Tyrese Maxey #0 (L) and James Harden #1 of the Philadelphia 76ers.
What a time to be a Philadelphia sports fan. The Philadelphia 76ers tip off tonight after an offseason of serious retooling and revamping. The Philadelphia Phillies are headed to their first Conference Series in over a decade. The Philadelphia Eagles are still undefeated after a win against the Dallas Cowboys. Heck, even the Philadelphia Union are cruising after finishing atop the MLS’ Eastern Conference.
It’s a series of successes that, just a few weeks ago, seemed impossible. The Phillies were slumping down the stretch turning what looked like a surefire playoff trip into an Olympic footrace. The Eagles had lots of weapons, but relied on a still-unproven quarterback in Jalen Hurts. And the Sixers haven’t gotten out of the second round of the playoffs in two decades.
But Philadelphians are feeling the love right now. And that feeling isn’t limited to natives; adopted son James Harden reveled in the Philly renaissance ahead of the Sixers’ first game Tuesday.
“This culture of this city is second to none, and honestly, they like, die for their sports. Obviously, the Eagles had a big win [over Dallas Sunday] … The Phillies are doing their thing. We are excited for our season,” Harden said, per Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.
#Sixers guard James Harden on Philly sports fans: “This culture of this city is second to none, and honestly, they like, die for their sports. Obviously, the Eagles had a big win [over Dallas Sunday] … The Phillies are doing their thing. We are excited for our season.
It’s a special time in Philadelphia, no question about it. And if the Sixers are going to continue producing the good vibes, Harden will likely be a key factor.
After practice on October 17, Harden spoke about his goals for the upcoming season and his mindset.
Harden: Sixers Must Improve ‘Every Single Day’
For the last half-decade or so, the Sixers have entered the season with the same goal: win the championship. The long, arduous days of The Process are over — now it’s time to bear the fruits of those trying times. This year is no different and Harden knows it.
“I’m just happy to be out there, fresh and new season, and an opportunity to be the last team standing,” Harden said on Monday, per Noah Levick of NBC Sports Philadelphia. “For us, I think it’s within this locker room, within this organization, continuing to get better every single day.
Harden faces a healthy dose of skepticism from the NBA punditry heading into his 14th season. The days of the former MVP singlehandedly leading a team to victory are over (if they ever truly existed). But Harden should take on a more complementary role, continuing to act as both a playmaker and scorer, with Doc Rivers hoping the guard will channel his inner Magic Johnson.
While Harden might not be counted on to dial up the scoring jets in crunchtime, he’s still expected to light up the stats sheet in helps, with one insider pegging him as the league’s assist leader next season.
Harden Predicted To Lead League In Assists
On October 17, aka Opening Tip-Off Eve, Sixers insider Rich Hofmann put together a list of his own predictions for Philadelphia. Among them was Harden leading the league in assists, which Hofmann supported by citing Harden’s strong numbers last year and the relative talent around the star guard.
“With Maxey’s ascendance and the shooting the Sixers now have around him, Harden is going to lean into the distributor role even more. If the Sixers have a top-five offense, Harden can reasonably point to that number as evidence that he’s doing his job,” Hofmann wrote.
With any luck, Tyrese Maxey will continue his rise by matching increased shot volume with strong efficiency. That should ease the pressure for Harden to takeover games late.