James Harden – Philadelphia 76ers
A lot has been said about the 76ers and the Nets alike since the massive James Harden-Ben Simmons deal, but so far, it really does seem like this trade has been favorable to both sides.
Seth Curry and Andre Drummond have looked good in Brooklyn and James Harden has blown out the expectations placed on him in a 76ers’ uniform through his first two games with the team.
Against the Timberwolves in his debut with Philadelphia, James Harden went for 27 points (5-7 3PT), 8 rebounds, and 12 assists in a 133-102 win for the 76ers. In his second game against the Knicks on Sunday, Harden went for 29 points (3-7 3PT), 10 rebounds, and 16 assists in a 125-109 76ers win.
So far, James Harden is not only a triple-double threat with the 76ers, but he has helped them win two key games by an average margin of victory of 23.5 points. Not to mention, Joel Embiid has looked extremely comfortable next to Harden, as has second-year guard Tyrese Maxey.
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There seems to be new energy and a boost of confidence amongst this 76ers team and the best part about James Harden being on the 76ers is the free-throw opportunities this team has now created.
In their last two games alone, the 76ers have shot a total of 80 free throws, and Harden and Embiid have combined for 59 of these total attempts.
Not only has James Harden helped slow the pace down, but he is allowing Joel Embiid to get breaks and breathers in the middle of games because of the number of times this team is heading to the free-throw line.
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Call them boring if you want, but getting to the free-throw line seems to be the way the 76ers are going to look to beat their opponents and so far, it is working to perfection. Philadelphia is a championship contender this season thanks to their acquisition of James Harden.
