Following his 76ers debut, James Harden turned to face the media, looking refreshed and invigorated.
With his short and dramatic tenure in Brooklyn a thing of the past now, the Beard was able to look ahead with optimism for the first time in a while.
“For me, I haven’t been on the court in so long, it feels like,” said Harden. “My body feels great, personally, and then just to be around these guys who have the same common goal, coaching staff, and just top to bottom, winning. Tonight, I think defensively we were really good, and that’s what led to our offense being even better.”
Harden dropped 27 points, 12 assists, and 8 rebounds in his first game, a 133-102 romp over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
All-in-all, it’s hard to say that the start of this new era in Philly could be going any better. Harden and Embiid appear to have real chemistry both on and off the court. Maxey and Thybulle seem comfortable with the new status quo, and there is a real sense of excitement about what is to come.
Still, Harden did his best to settle things down and remind the world that there’s still work to be done.
“Just a normal game day,” he said. “Just getting my mind right to be the best player on the court. Tonight was a great start, but we got a long way to go,” Harden finished. “We’ll do whatever it takes every single day to build the great habits so we’re prepared when the time is right.”
We’ve seen this before: great players getting off to a new start with a new team. It’s nothing new, and the results aren’t always positive.
To ensure long-term success, the Sixers will have to figure out how to maximize their talents, keep everyone involved, and maintain their identity on the defensive end.
Only time will tell how they tackle those challenges. For now, we can only continue to watch as Embiid and Harden put on a show.
