When the Philadelphia 76ers traded for James Harden back in February, this isn’t what they had in mind.
The amazing shot-creator and playmaker Harden was in Houston hasn’t been seen all season long and that trend has continued into the playoffs.
In fact, In the 5 games Philly has played so far, Harden has been especially atrocious, averaging 18.4 points per game on just 37% shooting. He has also tallied more turnovers than field goals in two games.
James Harden 😬😬😬
(h/t @_Talkin_NBA ) pic.twitter.com/G92jy0Vfom
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) April 26, 2022
In 21 games for Philly during the regular season, Harden’s numbers were the lowest they’ve been since 2012 when he was the sixth man for the OKC Thunder. This season, he’s been inefficient, lethargic, and almost a complete liability for his team. Long story short, Harden has been frustratingly bad since his hamstring injury last year.
It has gotten to a point where some are wondering if Harden will ever return to being the superstar-level player he once was.
“James Harden looks done! And I don’t need Jalen Rose’s glasses to tell me that,” said Stephen A. Smith. “Let’s just get it out of the way right now. What I mean by ‘done,’ he’s not a scrub. He can still play. He can average over 20 and 8 for you. That’s not what I mean when I say he’s done. I’m talking about the James Harden that we saw in Houston, that brother is no more. He’s not getting the level of separation he once was, he’s not getting loose and evasive from defenders because he just doesn’t have the quickness. He hasn’t been the same since that hamstring injury… as a result, that puts even more onus on Joel Embiid.”
After taking a 3-0 lead against Toronto, the 76ers have lost two straight games and are suddenly dangerously close to playing a Game 7.
Losing the series after being up 3-0 would be an enormous embarrassment for the franchise and it will be up to James Harden and Joel Embiid to ensure that doesn’t happen.
