Getty Joel Embiid #21 and James Harden #1 of the Philadelphia 76ers sit for an interview during media day at the 76ers Training Complex.
Expectations continue to rise surrounding the Philadelphia 76ers as the season approaches. The new free-agent additions have flashed their abilities in the first two preseason games and national media members are beginning to give the team some respect in where they rank among the NBA’s best. There are many X-factors that will play a role in Philadelphia’s potential to reach their ceiling as a team. However in a recent article by Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report, a slightly different slant on the Sixers’ reason for optimism.
In the article which discussed the biggest reason for optimism for each team around the NBA, Swartz brought up the happiness of James Harden. As he put it:
“Two years ago, an out-of-shape James Harden showed up late to Houston Rockets training camp while seeking a trade. Last season, Harden failed to sign an extension with the Brooklyn Nets and later pushed for a move to the Philadelphia 76ers.At last, finally (hopefully), Harden is in an environment where he’s settled, happy and, by the looks of it, in really good shape,” written by Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report.
Harden’s Happiness
Throughout his career, it has been extremely clear how “bought-in” Harden is by looking at his level of play. While he deserves credit for continually suiting up for his team, there have been some questionable efforts amid his frustrations. This became the case during the tail-end of his tenure in Houston which the MVP publically demanded out and also was the case in Brooklyn last year.
Maximum effort, all the time.
You can’t coach the sort of intensity that James Harden brings to the floor.
Electric!
In Harden’s defense, his frustrations with Brooklyn were the same reason he wanted out of Houston. The Rockets primarily put role players around Harden and gave the keys to the superstar. During the 2018-19 season, Harden recorded the second-highest usage rate in NBA history at 40.47%.
Part of Harden’s desire to leave Houston was that there was not so much on his plate. However, due to the injuries to Kevin Durant and a variety of reasons that kept Kyrie Irving out of the lineup this never came to fruition. During the two seasons Harden spent in Brooklyn, the trio played just 16 games on the court together. Harden was the most durable of the three but was left to play alongside a group of role players similar to the situation he had just escaped. Whether this is a fair reason to let his effort slip is a different discussion, but the correlation is worth noting.
Philadelphia a Better Situation?
Since coming to Philadelphia there have been nothing but positive reviews of the type of teammate Harden has been. He has spoken openly of his happiness to be on the Sixers and even stated he wanted to join the team instead of the Nets when the initial trade happened. He also helped organize off-season workouts with the team and has had no problem sharing the spotlight.
Harden has helped raise the ceiling of this Sixers team in a major way, but it is clear Joel Embiid is still the centerpiece. The MVP runner-up led the NBA in scoring last season and Harden was helpful in creating easier looks for the superstar. The emergence of Tyrese Maxey has also taken some scoring and ball-handling responsibilities off of Harden’s shoulders. He no longer is in a position where he must do it all which is a great thing for Harden at this stage in his career.
His fitness level and the status of the hamstring will play a major role in what type of on-court production is expected of Harden next season. However, his growth in happiness should not be overlooked.