Getty James Harden of the Philadelphia 76ers
After the Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Indiana Pacers on March 6, Sixers star James Harden openly questioned what else fans need to see how much worth he brings to the basketball court.
“I don’t know what they want from me,” Harden said, per Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. “You know what I mean? I’ve been doing this thing for a very long time. I’ve been one of the most consistent players in this league since I’ve been in.
“The only thing that I can do is control what I can control, keep going out there and impacting the game every single night that I step on the floor. And I’ll live with the results.”
Shooting-wise, Harden didn’t have his most efficient game, putting up 14 points on three-for-11 shooting, but he dished out 20 assists on the night.
James Harden dished out 20 dimes tonight 🤯
Here’s ALL 20 of his assists in from the @sixers win in Indy!
This season, Harden is averaging 21.9 points, 10.8 assists, 6.3 rebounds, and 1.2 steals while shooting 44.9% from the field and 40.1% from three. Despite his impressive numbers this season, Harden did not get make the all-star team, even when after multiple players missed the game due to injury.
Insider Says Harden to Houston is ‘Foregone Conclusion’
There has been plenty of speculation that Harden may potentially opt out of his player option with the Sixers this summer to return to the Houston Rockets. The smoke has only continued as Bill Simmons of The Ringer gave the latest update on the situation on his podcast on March 6, framing it like a “foregone conclusion,” as he put it.
“In the whispers circles, everybody seems to think he’s going back to Houston,” Simmons said. “I think the Houston part is just bizarre, really, since Christmas. (Adrian Wojnarowski) dropped that thing on Christmas, and it’s like, ‘Where’s this coming from? I’m about to watch five Christmas games.’ And now it seems like a foregone conclusion.”
Simmons then compared the situation to how things played out between LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers the year before he signed there in 2018.
“If you talk to anyone around the league, they’re like, ‘Yeah, Harden is going to Houston.’ It reminds me a lot of that LeBron-Lakers year,” Simmons added. “A year before LeBron went to the Lakers and everybody was like, ‘Yeah, LeBron’s going to the Lakers.’ I don’t know what to make of it.”
Nothing is definite until Harden signs on the dotted line, but there have been so many reports since Wojnarowski’s first report last Christmas that this is something the Sixers should definitely keep in mind.
Harden Listed on Sixers Injury Report
On the second night of a back-to-back, Pompey included Harden among the players who are questionable for the Sixers’ game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on March 7. Alongside Harden are Tobias Harris and P.J. Tucker, both of whom missed their last game against the Pacers.
#Sixers point guard James Harden (left foot soreness), Tobias Harris (left calf bruise) and P.J. Tucker (back spasms) are all listed as questionable for tonight’s game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Target Center.
The Sixers’ season is coming down the stretch. Knowing how high they are in the Eastern Conference standings as the no. 3 seed, the Sixers will need all their guys on the court if they want the highest seed possible. At the same time, they can’t risk worsening injuries when the playoffs come, so if Harden and the others needing the night off help them health-wise in the playoffs, the Sixers should let them rest.
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James Harden Sounds off After Sixers Win: ‘I Don’t Know What They Want from Me’