Getty James Harden #1 of the Philadelphia 76ers arrives before playing the Toronto Raptors ahead of their basketball game at the Scotiabank Arena on October 26, 2022 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
It has been since November 2nd since James Harden last suited up for an NBA game. Luckily this countdown is coming to an end as the Philadelphia 76ers’ star guard has officially been upgraded to questionable ahead of the Sixers’ Monday Night matchup with the Houston Rockets. This was noted as a target date for Harden and he is one step closer to officially taking the court following this announcement. This will be somewhat of a homecoming for Harden as he spent nine seasons in Houston where he was an All-Star each season and the franchise had a record of 397-224 during these seasons.
Harden’s Comments
After missing the first two games of the Sixers’ road trip, Harden returned to practice on Sunday. The 10-time All-Star told reporters he was “on pace” to make his return against Houston. He also spoke positively of the city saying it still feels like home to him.
James Harden said he is “on pace” to return tomorrow vs. Rockets. Said to him, Houston is still “home.”
End of the workout with James Harden and Sam Cassell
Joel Embiid initially joked that he was unaware Harden’s return was imminent when asked by the media but then stated following the loss to the Grizzlies, “Like I said, [Harden’s return is] all going to be fun. … We need a lot of help. You know, he’s one of our best players. And he’s so freaking good. So anything we can get at this point, we will get it,” per Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Sixers Without Harden
Harden first suffered the injury in a 121-111 loss to the Washington Wizards. Since this time, the Sixers have gone 8-6 and now hold a record of 12-11 on the season. However, there were some notable developments without Harden that are worth keeping an eye on upon his return. During the shorthanded stretch, Philadelphia had much-improved ball movement and also impressed on the defensive end. During the month of November, the Sixers had the best defensive rating across the NBA. While the Sixers are starved of Harden’s creation ability and shot-making, Harden’s play could lead to a step back in both of these categories. Several bench players also made a positive impact which will be interesting to see if they remain in the rotation.
Sixers defense this season:
2nd in defensive rating
1st in PPG allowed
1st in 3P% allowed
Embiid seemed especially bull-headed when discussing the defensive changes with the media. As he put it, “We’re not switching. Obviously, we have a system in place. I think at the beginning of the year, the mistake we made was we tried to go 1 through 5 a lot and we were OK doing it. Like I keep saying, I can do it, but that’s not just what I’m good at. I’m good at being around the rim and protecting the rim. So we have a formula.”
The big man continued to say, “Since he’s been here, he’s buying into everything that we asked from him. I don’t know what the game plan is going to be, but what I know for a fact is that we’re gonna keep doing what brought us to the point where we are a top-three defense in the league, but he’s gonna be fine,” per Ky Carlin of SixersWire.
Both Embiid and the Sixers have spoken about making defense their priority since the season began. While Harden has at times in his career had so much on his plate that his defensive deficiencies could be overlooked, this is no longer the case considering how the Sixers’ roster is constructed. There is still plenty of time remaining on the season, but the team will need some time to get on the same page ahead of the postseason.