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Precisely 13 months after James Harden confirmed in his introductory press convention with the Brooklyn Nets that “they had been on the highest of my checklist” and the Houston Rockets helped him facilitate his choice, the 10-time NBA All-Star instructed reporters upon becoming a member of the Philadelphia 76ers, “Philly was my first selection.”
Harden reported to coaching camp out of form in 2020, and 9 video games into final season declared his Rockets “not ok.” His Houston teammates publicly described his habits as disrespectful. That didn’t cease him from dubbing himself “an elite teammate” and “elite chief” upon first arriving in Brooklyn.
Harden once more reported out of form this previous October, and it didn’t take him lengthy to feud with his Brooklyn teammates. You saw how Kevin Durant dealt with Harden on the All-Star draft. That didn’t cease Harden from calling himself “the most effective teammates that the NBA has seen” upon arriving in Philadelphia, both.
In different phrases: Trusting Harden’s sizzling begin on the Sixers is to disregard all the things we simply noticed on the Nets.
Harden’s closing 4 video games on the Rockets had been the longest stretch of his Houston tenure with 20 factors or fewer. He bested that streak on the Nets within the first 5 video games of this season and made a number of extra runs at it till his closing recreation for Brooklyn — an abysmal four-point effort in 37 minutes of a double-digit loss to the Sacramento Kings. He had by no means earlier than scored so few factors in so many minutes in his 13-year profession.
He scored 26 factors on 30 shot makes an attempt, dedicated extra turnovers (10) than he tried free throws (9) and completed a -32 mixed over his closing two video games on the Nets. In two video games with the Sixers, Harden has scored 56 factors on 26 photographs, tried 19 free throws and dedicated simply 5 turnovers (in opposition to 28 assists) to complete +54. His 5 steals in Sunday’s 16-point win over the New York Knick are a a season excessive.
The three weeks Harden rested in between did wonders for his sore left hamstring.
If all this sounds acquainted, it’s as a result of Harden made the very same transformation from Houston to Brooklyn a yr in the past. He scored 36 factors on 30 photographs, dedicated as many turnovers (10) as he tried free throws (10) and completed a -34 mixed over his final two video games on the Rockets. In his first two video games for the Nets, Harden scored 66 factors on 43 photographs, tried 21 free throws and dedicated 15 turnovers (in opposition to 26 assists) to complete +12. His 4 steals in his mid-January Brooklyn debut had been a season excessive.
Harden additionally laughed off questions on his conditioning points upon becoming a member of the Nets.
He was engaged in Brooklyn final season, to the purpose he declared himself the MVP in late March. Every week later, Harden suffered the primary in a sequence of accidents to his proper hamstring. The problems finally price him a lot of the ultimate third of the common season and the Nets their greatest shot at beating the Milwaukee Bucks. Months later, he was orchestrating his means from a company that had simply mortgaged its future for him.
So, simply beware when Sixers star Joel Embiid declares his two-man recreation with Harden “unstoppable” two video games into their partnership. Dwight Howard said the same about their pairing in Houston six years in the past.
Watch Harden’s media day availabilities after the Rockets acquired Howard in 2013, Chris Paul in 2017 and Russell Westbrook in 2019. He was “excited” on the prospect of every pairing. All three had been going to take “the stress of carrying a whole group” off Harden. Howard’s put up presence would open the perimeter for him. Paul’s ingenuity on the ball would alleviate his utilization price. Westbrook’s tempo would complement his deliberateness. Every labored for a spell. Harden made convention finals appearances with Harden and Paul earlier than his partnership with Westbrook peaked with an 11-3 begin to the 2019-20 season.
That’s when Westbrook stated of Harden, his childhood pal, “I feel that lots of people prefer to normalize greatness while you see it again and again, but it surely’s not regular as a result of there’s no one else that may do it. If it was regular, all people would do it. He is put himself in place to be the most effective offensive scorers of all time due to the way in which that he is in a position to rating the ball at a excessive stage in a wide range of methods.”
They solely performed 51 extra video games collectively earlier than they no longer wanted to share the same team. Harden lasted 129 video games with Paul earlier than their relationship was “unsalvageable.” Harden wanted Howard traded nicely earlier than they performed their 202nd and closing recreation collectively. The home windows solely bought shorter, culminating in Brooklyn, the place Harden performed simply 16 video games with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving earlier than requesting a commerce.
Howard wished out of Houston as a result of Harden’s ball dominance did not mesh with his post play, and Harden wished Howard out as a result of the large man was not setting screens and protecting the rim for him. Paul wished out of Houston as a result of Harden would opt out of the action when he didn’t have the ball, and Harden wished Paul out as a result of the Level God would not acquiesce to his model of basketball. Westbrook wished out of Houston as a result of he couldn’t “play my game” alongside Harden, for whom there was no accountability, and Harden wished out as soon as the famous person exodus had rid the Rockets of all their property.
Harden now not speaks to Howard or Paul. Howard even thought of retirement from the sport after his 2015 Western Convention finals run with Harden, as a result of “the joy was sucked out of it.” Paul rediscovered his as soon as he left the Rockets. Westbrook was not at peace in Houston. Ultimately, everybody was sad, and there was one widespread theme — the breakdown in communication with Harden, whose insistence on succeeding on his personal phrases has generated a wealth of particular person accolades and restricted playoff prosperity.
Based on Corridor of Fame NBA reporter Marc Stein, Harden was “a brooding presence for months” earlier than asking off the Nets, barely speaking with Durant. Irving reportedly “was eager to see” Harden gone. Like Harden’s famous person teammates earlier than them, Durant and Irving may simply draw a line from Harden’s “late-night social activities” to his substandard efficiency. Extra floor Harden was unwilling to cede.
Humorous how “the most effective teammates that the NBA has seen” can’t appear to search out an elite one he can coexist with past a season or two. It’s telling that Harden’s most loyal relationship within the league belongs to former Rockets turned Sixers govt Daryl Morey, who has additionally lengthy prioritized numbers to chemistry.
The sample right here is evident. The primary two video games of Harden’s Sixers tenure are the onset of his honeymoon section with Embiid, however adversity lies forward. It at all times does. The 76ers are Embiid’s staff, Philadelphia is Embiid’s metropolis, and that has by no means been Harden’s modus operandi. Ceding management can be a primary for him, as would a visit to the NBA Finals, as would an on-court famous person relationship that stands the check of time.
The Sixers higher hope this one holds up by way of the top of this season, when Harden can grow to be an unrestricted free agent. He instructed ESPN’s Malika Andrews previous to this season that he wanted to test the market. He additionally instructed her “it could be very, very tough to depart” Brooklyn. That was solely 5 months in the past.
Harden missed the deadline to select up his 2022-23 participant possibility throughout this season. Philadelphia will provide him a four-year, $227 extension on prime of the $47 million he’s owed subsequent season. Ought to Harden signal that deal, which spans his thirty seventh birthday, the Sixers will tie Embiid’s prime to an getting older famous person with a historical past of failed chemistry experiments. It’s a monumental guess that this one yields a title earlier than it, too, runs its course.
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