Getty James Harden chats with new Sixers teammates Danny Green and Tobias Harris on February 15, 2022 in Philly.
There was one very minor moment from James Harden’s coronation at Madison Square Garden that caused controversy. The newest Philadelphia 76ers guard was caught giving Danny Green a nasty and confused look when he inbounded the basketball to Tobias Harris instead of him.
Harden had a legitimate gripe. He was the closest person to Green, plus he’s the primary ball-handler. To further the drama, Harris has been atrocious since Harden’s debut. The 6-foot-8 forward has gone 5-of-18 from the field for just 18 points over his last two games.
Sixers Twitter has been on his case throughout the year but has really kicked it into hyper-drive. It didn’t help that the ESPN national TV crew, specifically Doris Burke, kept bringing up Harris’ shortcomings during Sunday’s broadcast. There was no altercation between Harden and Green, but he clearly looked pissed off as the cameras caught his death stare.
Harden already aggravated with Danny Green 😂😂
Harden wasn’t asked about Green or the non-pass during his post-game press conference. However, the future Hall of Famer didn’t hold back on Harris’ struggles. Nothing negative. He was in his ear all game and kept telling him to shoot it.
“There were opportunities where Tobias had four or five catch-and-shoot opportunities that he passed up and tried to dribble past somebody,” Harden told reporters. “And that’s the thing, I’m going to stay in his ear about it, that he had those opportunities. I don’t care if he missed 20 of them like those are shots that we need you to take. Because more times than not you’re going to make those shots. And as long as I can continue to build that confidence in each and every one of our guys the better our team will be collectively.”
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Green’s Struggles Reaching Crisis Level?
Meanwhile, Green hasn’t been able to buy a bucket in the month of February. The three-time world champion is shooting a horrific 34% from the field and an even more troubling 29.7% from three-point range over his last 10 games.
Yes, the 34-year-old is battling a nagging hamstring injury and remains on a minutes restriction. That isn’t going to stop the Philly faithful from raining down boos on him if things don’t start improving quickly. Remember, Green inked a two-year deal worth $20 million last offseason.
More Green on Harden, who have battled each other since getting drafted together in 2009:
“Getting free throws, drawing fouls, finding guys, bullying the defense a little bit – he’s a bully sometimes. But also finding guys in the corner – & I’ll hopefully benefit from that.”
Making matters worse, Furkan Korkmaz has been equally ineffective off the bench. The Turkish sensation has registered just one double-digit outing since January 27 while going 8-for-25 from beyond the arc. With an epic airball against the Knicks.
That’s inexcusable for a three-point specialist who can sometimes be a defensive liability on the court. Korkmaz also has nine turnovers during that stretch. It might be time to give extra burn to Shake Milton and throw Isaiah Joe into the mix. Korkmaz and Green aren’t getting it done.
Sixers… please give Furkan Korkmaz a two month, paid vacation in New York after the game 🥶
Doc Rivers Enters Tobias Harris Debate
Sixers head coach Doc Rivers jumped into the Tobias Harris debate and echoed Harden’s comments. The opportunities have been there and will continue to be there. Harris needs to keep jacking up shots and eventually, they are going to fall. Everyone knows it. No one is worried.
“Listen, we’re in the wins business. We’re not trying to keep everybody happy,” Rivers told reporters, via The Inquirer’s Keith Pompey. “Because if that was true we would be in the loss business. Tobias is going to get great shots and that’s why he wasn’t happy after the game. He was like, ‘My gosh, I have to take advantage of all these opportunities I got’ and he felt like he didn’t. But over the long haul, he will. So I’m not that concerned about it.”
Tobias Harris had six points on 2-9 shooting on Friday while Joel Embiid (34 pt, 10 rbs), James Harden (27 pts, 12 asts, 8 rbs) and Tyrese Maxey (28 pts) all dominated. Doc Rivers was asked if the #Sixers will consciously try to get Harris more involved. Here’s his response: