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The Philadelphia 76ers are set for a playoff stretch. Since his time with the Brooklyn Nets, recent Sixers acquisition James Harden has dealt with a reoccurring hamstring injury. However, according to Sixers head coach Doc Rivers, Harden is completely healed from the lingering injury.
Sixers writer Austin Krell tweeted the positive update Saturday morning.
Doc says James Harden is completely healthy and that his hamstring is not bothering him.
— Austin Krell (@NBAKrell) April 9, 2022
While it's great that Harden has overcome the huge obstacle that affected him through so much of the regular season, there still are some concerns around the veteran point guard.
That being said, it's unclear what has caused Harden's lack of productivity in recent weeks. He hasn't been contributing to the team like he did when he first arrived. In his first five games, he recorded a triple-double and three double-doubles and quickly became the team's top assist contributor.
He became more inconsistent as his career in Philadelphia went on, producing big numbers some nights, and barely making an impact other nights.
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Most recently, Rivers blamed Harden for a large part of the Sixers' loss to the Detroit Pistons in late March.
“They [the bench] didn’t struggle. They didn’t get a lot of shots in their defense. I think during that stretch it was more James than them. Yeah, it’s just a tough night,” he said.
Harden had only 18 points in 38 minutes, while he had 32 the night before in 37 minutes of play. Meanwhile, his co-star Joel Embiid averaged 33 points in the two games, recording a double-double in both.
The Sixers are finishing up their two final games of the regular season, and the 2022 NBA Playoffs begin on April 16.
