In the Eastern Conference, the Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics are expected to finish near the top of the standings with a perfect mix of talent and experience on their rosters.
Meanwhile, in Philadelphia, the 76ers are still trying to prove that they can compete with the best. After last year’s disappointing campaign, there isn’t much faith in what the Sixers can do this season.
The key for the 76ers, besides health, is the play of James Harden. If he can find his MVP form, it could be enough to power Philly through a deep playoff run. But if he continues to be the shy and reluctant scorer he has been, it could spell disaster for the franchise.
Doc Rivers Pushes For James Harden To Find His Balance Between Scoring And Playmaking
In a chat with ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski this week, Sixers coach Doc Rivers spoke about some of his expectations for James this year and explained what version of him he wants to see on the floor.
“I always knew James was a good passer, you knew that, but he was such a great scorer, you didn’t see his ability to see the floor and playmake,” Rivers said. “So, that’s what hit me first, like, ‘Man, we don’t have a point guard. This guy can be a scoring point guard — and I use the word scoring Magic Johnson for us.’ But, the trick is to get him to do that plus score. And that’s hard to do.”
Philadelphia 76ers coach Doc Rivers joins The Woj Pod to discuss the Joel Embiid/James Harden partnership, shrinking windows to keep a high-level roster together, evolving as a coach in modern age, much more.
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— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 10, 2022
Harden supposedly tried to transition to more of a facilitator role, which partly explains why he only averaged 22 points per game — his lowest mark since 2012. Harden’s efficiency also took a huge hit last season, with an average shooting percentage of 41%.
The truth is, if the 76ers plan on making a serious run this time, James Harden is going to have to be the shooter/scorer we all remember him to be.
Clearly, Doc Rivers is trying his best to bring it out of the superstar guard, but only his performance on the court will determine if he really heard the message.
