Getty James Harden of the Philadelphia 76ers
On ESPN’s First Take, Stephen A. Smith listed his top five NBA players who are under the most pressure to win an NBA title this season. Philadelphia 76ers star James Harden was ranked no. 2 on the list. Smith explained why Harden was ranked that high.
“At some point in time, this dude is a scoring champion, he’s a former league MVP, he was absolutely a sensational scorer in Houston. We all know this. It didn’t pan out. You go to Brooklyn. It didn’t pan out. Now you got Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, and Tobias Harris as your teammates, with Doc Rivers as your coach. No excuses! This is the time, James Harden. You’re on the clock because everybody is looking at you and what you were supposed to do,” Smith said.
Smith then explained why Harden is the key for the Sixers to win a championship.
“If Philadelphia is to have a chance, assuming Joel Embiid is healthy enough come playoff time, James Harden has to show up and produce. He’s had many years where he’s been in the limelight. The bottom line is, he’s never even played in the NBA Finals outside of the year that he was a reserve in Oklahoma City with Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. That was a decade ago. Unacceptable. He’s on the clock.”
.@stephenasmith‘s NBA players under the MOST pressure to win a title:
1. Chris Paul
2. James Harden
3. Jayson Tatum
4. Nikola Jokić
5. Kawhi Leonard
Joel Embiid’s Thoughts on Playing With Harden
Having played with Harden for a year now more or less, Joel Embiid gushed about how well the two play off each other as a duo while also believing there’s room for improvement.
“It’s been great,” Embiid told reporters, per Ky Carlin of SixersWire. “Since last year, we’ve been growing every single day. Obviously, it’s been, what, about a year since we’ve been playing together. It takes a lot of time to have a connection with somebody, but I feel like from the beginning we already had that connection. The way we play off of each other, I think obviously, you can always get better, but I think we’re on the right path.”
While Harden’s scoring numbers are not what they were during his days with the Rockets, Harden has been efficient this season, particularly from three, where he’s shot 38.9% from three, the highest he’s shot since his last season with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Having another scorer like Embiid has clearly helped Harden’s efficiency as a scorer.
Insider Gives Odds Harden Will Leave Sixers For Rockets
Rockets Insider Kelly Iko of The Athletic provided a concerning update on what he believes are the odds of Harden leaving the Sixers for the Rockets.
“I’m putting it at a seven out of 10. I think where there’s smoke, there’s fire. James loves this city. He loves those guys on the roster, the young players in Houston. He has ties to the city’s businesses. His home is here. Crazier things have happened, so, don’t call me crazy, but you might be seeing something different,” Iko said.
Harden has a player option for next season that he could potentially decline. If he decides to opt out, the Sixers must decide if he is worth keeping around long-term as he continues to age.