Since his arrival in Philadelphia, James Harden has been watched under a microscope by many. Early on, it looked as if he was a perfect fit for the 76ers. His playmaking elevated the production of role players like Georges Niang and Matisse Thybulle, while his scoring provided another dynamic threat alongside Joel Embiid.

Following the super-hot start coming out of the All-Star break, we are starting to see some growing pains from the new-look Sixers. Everyone knew acclimating an elite-level talent was going to take time, and their recent stretch proved this is still a work in progress. After winning the first four games with Harden playing, Philly got blown out by the Brooklyn Nets, barely beat the Orlando Magic in overtime and then lost to the Denver Nuggets.

Oddly enough, the main hurdle with Harden lately has been his assertiveness on offense. James Harden not being aggressive on offense is something NBA fans and analysts never expected to see, but here we are. Following his 3-for-17 outing against the Nets, the former MVP has become more passive.

In Monday's loss to the Nuggets, Harden attempted a mere 11 shots, and only two came in the fourth quarter. For someone who is the second option on offense, this level of volume is not going to cut it. Granted, part of this was due to Denver's defensive scheme. They sent a double at Harden on almost every pick-and-roll, forcing him to get the ball out of his hands. That being said, he is far too skilled of a player to only attempt 11 shots in a big game like that.

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After the game, Sixers head coach Doc Rivers talked about Harden's recent passiveness. He prefers the aggressive version of him compared to the point guard version and is pushing the All-Star guard to make his presence felt on the floor. When Harden was asked about this, he spoke on how he is still trying to find the proper balance with his new teammates.

“I'm just trying to figure it out. There's a lot going on, it's a lot of moving pieces throughout the game. Obviously, you got Joel [Embiid] out there, trying to get guys shots, and in the midst of that, you got to be aggressive. I'm just trying to find that balance. It doesn't usually take me a long time, so I'm sure I'll figure it out soon. Just trying to find that balance of when to be aggressive and when to be a playmaker,” Harden said.

Watching this unfold draws some similar comparisons to the hurdle Tyrese Maxey had to overcome earlier in the season. When taking on the point guard duties, there were times when he deferred to guys like Embiid and Tobias Harris to a fault. Now, it is Harden who needs to adjust on picking his spots.

In reality, it is not shocking we are seeing something like this unfold. As the newest addition to the lineup, Harden likely doesn't want to step on anyone's toes or take away a large number of shots from his new teammates.

Talent always finds a way to make things work, so this is far from a major issue for the Sixers. With 15 regular-season games to go, Harden will have the opportunity to find the proper balance before the postseason gets underway.