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The Philadelphia 76ers pulled a massive move ahead of the 2022 NBA trade deadline. The Sixers traded away Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, and Andre Drummond but got back James Harden from the Brooklyn Nets. Now, Philly has one of the best one-two punches in the entire league in Harden and Joel Embiid.
Since the Harden trade, the Sixers have been on a roll. Still, there could be some issues for the franchise as they come into the postseason. While the deal made them instantly better, choosing to do this deal might have given the Sixers their biggest roadblock to winning the 2022 NBA Finals.
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Biggest Sixers roadblock to 2022 NBA Finals win
While James Harden is a former MVP and an amazing player, he has not had the best of stretches in the last two years. He forced his way out of the Houston Rockets and then struggled to find his footing in Brooklyn. It was a weird match there anyway, as there were three players who needed the ball to be in their optimal state. His second season with the Nets started with a few terrible games, and while he picked up the pace gradually, forcing out a trade to the Sixers definitely did not improve on his season or his standing around the league. Harden and all the baggage he brings with him is definitely the biggest roadblock for the Sixers to finally capture that NBA title.
Now, one thing is for certain: James Harden can ball out. Since arriving in Philly, the new Sixers guard has had some amazing games, putting up a 29-point, 16-assist triple-double in his second game for the squad against the New York Knicks.
However, he has also been inefficient and outright poor in some huge games, including a total no-show against his old team, the Brooklyn Nets, dropping 11 points, six rebounds, and five assists on an abysmal 3-of-17 shooting from the field. Also indicative is his poor shooting from the 3-point line. He has crossed 40% in five of his 13 games and is shooting 34.5% with Philly. That percentage is around the NBA average, but we expect more from Harden, especially as he seeks his first title.
Everything mentioned above is his play on the court, which has been largely good, as the Sixers' record suggests since acquiring the superstar guard. However, the main issues with Harden come off the court. It all looks good for now, as Harden went viral when he was traded to the Sixers when it was shown that he is really enjoying the practices with Embiid and the rest of the Sixers squad. Speaking to reporters after that, he even went on to say that the Sixers were his first choice when he was seeking an out from Houston.
However, Harden's happiness is a fickle thing. We all remember how overjoyed he was to join the Nets, especially remembering the “scary hours” comments. That happiness quickly turned sour at the first sign of adversity.
It is not really the question of whether Harden is right or wrong for wanting out of Brooklyn at the first signs of adversity, or whether he was right to blame Kyrie Irving for missing time due to his personal beliefs. The situation is that the Sixers need to hope absolutely everything goes well here because Harden does not seem to have a ton of patience left. It is hard to blame him, as he did have to carry some of those Rockets teams almost by himself, but it is not a good sign for the Sixers, who need to do everything in their power to sail smoothly from now on. One of the problems they will face is that the playoffs are such that adversity is normal and should be fought, but they are now in danger of one of their two stars quitting on their team if something bad happens.
One more thing to consider is that the Sixers are heavily relying on Harden to deliver for them in the playoffs, something he was not really able to do in the past. Of course, they are also relying on Embiid and somewhat on Tobias Harris and Tyrese Maxey, but Harden is under the spotlight. Harden has had some amazing playoff moments and games, but he can definitely choke in key situations.
For instance, as part of the Nets, he dropped a 5-of-17 shooting performance in a Game 7 versus the Milwaukee Bucks last season. For the Rockets in 2018, he shot 2-of-13 from 3 in a Game 7 loss versus the Golden State Warriors as part of an overall 12-of-29 shooting performance. In a 2017 closeout game versus the San Antonio Spurs, he dropped a doozy of a game, scoring just 10 points on 2-of-11 shooting from the field and 2-of-9 shooting from behind the arc. The Sixers need security that their stars will show up, but with these numbers in some pivotal games in the past, the question remains whether James Harden can be counted on.
Once again, it is important to mention that, at least as of right now, the Sixers absolutely won the trade by getting the best player in the deal. However, James Harden brings baggage, the reputation of quitting on teams, and some poor clutch performances in the past. If they want a championship, the Sixers need both Embiid and Harden. While Embiid can largely be counted on, we will see if it is the same for Harden.
