James Harden stepped up big-time in Joel Embiid’s absence to have a 45-point game and lead the Philadelphia 76ers to a much-needed Game 1 win over the Boston Celtics.
Harden vented out frustrations on media and fans that have criticized his play style over the last season.
“Throughout the entire year, people expect me to be the scoring James Harden and the James Harden that goes out there and gets 40, 50 points. And then people talk: ‘Oh, you can’t win like that. And then I’ll go out there and get 20 points and 11 assists. And it’s like, ‘Well, he’s not the old James Harden no more.'”
"Throughout the entire year, people expect me to be the scoring James Harden and the James Harden that goes out there and gets 40, 50 points. And then people talk: 'Oh, you can't win like that. And then I'll go out there and get 20 points and 11 assists. And it's like, 'Well,… pic.twitter.com/1Rz3NXInzT
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) May 2, 2023
It really isn’t fair to Harden how he’s been treated in recent years. Yes, he isn’t the MVP-level player we saw in Houston or even his first season with Brooklyn. But that doesn’t mean he’s not an All-Star caliber player still and one of the best playmakers in the league. People said he can never win playing heliocentric offense, so he became a playmaker. Now he gets criticized for not scoring enough, so Harden was bound to let out his frustrations at some point.
Is James Harden’s Style Flawed?
James Harden used to not care about anything except scoring in the middle of his prime with the Rockets. Injuries and his worsening conditioning led to him adjusting his game and becoming a playmaker for the talented offensive talents around him in both Brooklyn and Philadelphia. That led to severe criticisms last season, as Harden couldn’t really help the 76ers score when Joel Embiid was injured last season.
Harden averaged 21.0 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 10.7 assists this season and is currently averaging 22.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 6.3 assists in the playoffs.
With a season’s worth of continuity and relatively good health, Harden is looking really confident. Until Embiid comes back this series, ‘The Beard’ will have to continue defying expectations and cooking the team that many consider are locks for an NBA Finals appearance.
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