The Philadelphia 76ers have handled business thus far in the 2022 NBA Postseason. They are up 3-0 in their first-round series against the Toronto Raptors, protecting homecourt just as they’re supposed to and taking one on the road.
The team is happy about the position they are in with a commanding 3-0 lead and have to be encouraged by some of the performances they have seen thus far. Surprisingly, it is Tyrese Maxey leading the way, as he is averaging 26.7 points per game.
Maxey is in the zone, making 60.0 percent of his shot attempts through three games and 47.4 percent of his 3-point attempts. He has made all nine of his free throw attempts, adding 5.7 rebounds and five assists per game.
The team is lucky to have Maxey performing at the level that he is because James Harden is still struggling to get going offensively. He struggled throughout the regular season with his shot and there was hope that would change, but it has been more of the same thus far in two postseason games.
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Some people are beginning to question if we have seen the best of Harden and his play is beginning to decline. One of the people who believe that is Skip Bayless, who says Harden is beginning to look slow and that he is becoming an old man right before our eyes.
Harden is struggling mightily through three games against the Raptors. He is shooting 41.0 percent from the field but is making 46.7 percent of his 3-point attempts. That improvement is huge, as the Raptors are blitzing Joel Embiid essentially every time he touches the ball, so Harden and his teammates have to make it hurt when Toronto leaves them open.
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He is still providing some solid playmaking, averaging 10.0 assists per game, but if the Philadelphia 76ers are going to contend for a title, they need Harden to step his game up. Maxey and Tobias Harris have both played excellently thus far, but over the long haul of the postseason, Harden needs to get on track for this team to reach its potential.
