James Harden is not and has never been the typical superstar. He may always be receiving vitriol due to his foul-baiting tendencies, but there's no denying that The Beard is good at basketball. And even with the decline in his scoring prowess, he remains extremely impactful for the Philadelphia 76ers, thanks to his elite playmaking ability.
On Wednesday night against the Orlando Magic, Harden showed off his almost-unmatched ability to set the table for his teammates once more. In 38 minutes of action, Harden dropped 26 points, 9 rebounds, and 10 assists. And in doing so, he notched his 14th game of the season with at least 20 points and 10 dimes.
As a result, James Harden has now tied Allen Iverson for the most 20-point and 10-assist games in a single season in Sixers franchise history, per Sixers PR. The 2001 NBA MVP accomplished the feat during the 2005-06 campaign, his last full season in Philadelphia.
There are truly some parallels between Harden and Iverson, even if their playstyles are vastly different from one another. Both have won one MVP award each, and they are two of the best scorers the league has ever seen. Moreover, the attention they draw from opposing defenses is borderline unparalleled, which allows them to dominate by both scoring and passing the ball.
Nevertheless, Sixers fans will be hoping that James Harden ages more gracefully than Allen Iverson did. Iverson, as legendary as he was for the Sixers, fell off a cliff following his stint with the Denver Nuggets. One may remember that Iverson, amid a sharp decline in his athleticism, refused to come off the bench.
But from the looks of it, Harden appears to be more equipped to contribute as he ages. As seen over the past two seasons, despite being noticeably slower than he was at his peak, Harden is still able to contribute at a high level. And for the Sixers to continue being contenders, they will need The Beard to continue playing his role exceptionally well alongside their talisman Joel Embiid.
The Sixers may only go as far as Embiid takes them, but Harden will definitely have a hand on the steering wheel as they navigate through the difficult Eastern Conference gauntlet.
Follow Us
Subscribe