Subscribe
Follow Us
The beginning of James Harden's tenure with the Philadelphia 76ers didn't get off to the greatest start. After a messy split with the Brooklyn Nets, the Sixers traded for him in the blockbuster Ben Simmons deal and he didn't produce at the level expected of him.
After an offseason to refresh and get more acclimated with his new team, Harden has the chance to have a bounce-back campaign. He will have plenty of younger talent to lean on, as well as some familiar faces, too. Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and a few of his former Houston Rockets teammates give him an environment where he can thrive again.
All eyes will be on James Harden to see if he can return to being one of the truly elite NBA talents. Ahead of the Sixers veteran's 2022-23 season, here are three bold predictions for him.
*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
3. Harden's shooting percentages bounce back
Harden had the worst shooting season of his career in 2021-22. His 41.0 field-goal percentage was the second-worst of his career (better than only his rookie campaign) and his 33.0 3-point percentage was the worst by a good margin. Old age is certainly catching up to him, but not by so much that his efficiency will stay that bad.
The Sixers' offense should be very good this season, as any unit would with Embiid. Maxey gives them another reliable scorer who will bend defenses out of shape. Harden will have plenty of shooters around him like the two aforementioned stars, P.J. Tucker, De'Anthony Melton, Tobias Harris and Georges Niang. Matisse Thybulle is also on his way to becoming a respectable 3-point shooter, too. He will never have to do it all by himself.
Harden isn't going to reach new heights with his scoring efficiency, but he should at least be better than he was last year. It will be huge for the Sixers if Harden finds a way to remain a highly reliable scorer. He should be able to shoot around 44 percent from the field and 37 percent from deep this season.
2. Harden makes the All-Star team, but as an injury replacement
The Beard's streak of 10 consecutive All-Star nominations has to end at some point. The competition in the Eastern Conference is very stiff among guards. This year could be the year that James Harden sees an All-Star bid slip away from him in the initial voting. However, he could still find his way to the All-Star team as an injury replacement.
The East is loaded with talent at the guard spot: Kyrie Irving, Trae Young, Donovan Mitchell, Zach LaVine, Darius Garland, Fred VanVleet, Dejounte Murray and Bradley Beal make up a stiff collection of competitors. This doesn't even count Tyrese Maxey — who doesn't care much about being an All-Star but could nonetheless take a leap that makes him one — or other young guys who could blossom like Tyrese Haliburton and Cade Cunningham.
As a walking 20 points and 10 assists, Harden should still find his name in the conversation and could very well be chosen as an injury replacement. He is far from the superstar he once was, yet he still finds a way to put up impressive numbers. His name alone will keep him in the conversation. If there are any injuries, Harden will likely be one of the guys to fill in.
1. James Harden leads the league in assists
James Harden has led the league in assists once in his career, back in the 2016-17 season. Mike D'Antoni gave him the nudge to lean into a scorer-playmaker and he took advantage, averaging 11.2 assists that season. After crossing the 10-assist-per-game mark in each of the last two seasons, he could get back to averaging over 11 and lead the league in the 2022-23 season.
The Sixers have given Harden all the weapons he needs to collect dimes. Embiid has proven to be unstoppable. Maxey may be on his way to that distinction, too. All the shooters at Harden's disposal and the team looking to get better at pushing the pace will benefit him as well.
No one is expecting James Harden to revert back to the superstar version of himself. That player belongs to the past, and that is totally fine. Harden now has to prove he can play the role of a supercharged floor general who can arrange the offense for his star teammates and remain a strong scorer. The adjustment period may be tough, but his current mindset is all about winning and making things easier for his teammates. Another assists title is well within reach for The Beard.
