CAMDEN, NJ — James Harden has carried a lot of the weight for the Philadelphia 76ers to start the season. But now that he is sidelined for a month with a right foot tendon strain, the Sixers need to pick up the slack. Tyrese Maxey, one of the stars whose expectations will be increased for the time being, said replacing the value Harden brought will be just that: a team effort.
“We’re just gonna try to go out there as a collective group and make up for what he does. Not one person can be James Harden,” Maxey said after the Sixers' Friday morning practice. “We’re just gonna go out there and collectively try to make up for what he brought to the table and try to win games.”
The Sixers don't have any other player on their roster whose playmaking abilities come close to matching those of Harden, so opting not to simply put someone else in his role is the right move. It will be extra important to generate ball movement and improve as a unit defensively. Much of the weight on offense will still fall to Maxey, who is off to a great start to the season.
Maxey listed some of the things he will now have to do more of with Harden out: “Ball handling a little bit more, try to facilitate a little bit more, get guys in their spots…And just still be aggressive and find ways to help us win games,” he said.
The Sixers will need Maxey to keep up his red-hot shooting and continue to grow as a playmaker.
Complicating matters even further, however, is that Joel Embiid's status is uncertain. He did participate in the Friday shootaround but is listed as questionable after missing two games. Maxey and Tobias Harris will likely be the Sixers' lead shot creators with their two stars having health-related issues and will need to step up their games.
The Harden-less (and potentially Embiid-less) Sixers will host the New York Knicks on Friday night. Maxey is expecting a tough fight as Philly looks to figure itself out without one of its key stars.
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