James Harden finished his 2021-22 NBA season with a terrible performance against the Miami Heat, scoring only 11 points in an elimination game at home. The Beard had a tumultuous stint with the team, starting his partnership with Joel Embiid and posting good performances, but that didn’t last too long.
He struggled to keep things going after a couple of weeks, and couldn’t do anything to help his squad beat the No. 1 seed Miami Heat in the second round of the playoffs. It was a terrible series for James, which perfectly summed up his first year with the team.
After everything was said and done, many people reacted to his performance. This includes Stephen A. Smith, who had no mercy on the former NBA MVP, trashing his production and the fact that he only attempted one shot in the second half:
“That performance by James Harden requires an investigation. How in God’s name do you go 22 minutes in the 2nd half and attempt 1 shot? It was a horrific performance, anemic, an impotent performance by James Harden. And I’m really interested in seeing what the Philadelphia 76ers are going to do with Doc Rivers because I smell something…”
Harden’s first season in Philly was just underwhelming. The player seemed to have found his place in the world after another bad time with the Brooklyn Nets and things didn’t go his way at Wells Fargo Center, either.
He was expected to help Joel Embiid win his first NBA championship, but none of that will happen. Harden has stated he plans to return to the team next season, but it’s unclear if the organization is interested in a player who is a shell of what he used to be. The Sixers have to make some decisions this offseason and some could affect Harden’s future.
