The 21st overall pick in the 2020 draft showed some flashes of brilliance during his rookie year.īut he exploded onto the scene in year two. Harden has also had a positive impact on Tyrese Maxey, the 76ers’ 21-year-old budding star. The two-man game of Harden and Embiid ran roughshod over opponents last season even with minimal practice time and Harden being less than 100%.Ī full offseason together and a healthier Harden could be devastating for the league. In the lineup that featured them the most (660 possessions), they had a +20.3 differential. Joel no longer had to do everything on offense and their pick-and-roll game set him up with easy looks.Īcross 1,214 possessions together, they had a +15.8 differential – good for the 99th percentile per Cleaning the Glass. Harden-Embiid pick and roll is too deadly… Best duo in the league? Harden just makes things easier for Embiid. He shot 49.5% from the field, 36.9% from three, and 81.3% from the line on 11.3 attempts per game. In the 46 games before that, Embiid went for 29.6 points, 11.2 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game. He shot 50.8% from the field, 37.3% from three, and 81.8% from the line on 13 attempts per game. In the 22 games after Harden suited up for Philly, Embiid averaged 32.6 points, 12.8 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game. In their first game together, they combined for 61 points, 18 rebounds, and 15 assists.Įmbiid shot 10-18 from the field, 3-5 from deep, and got to the line 13 times, sinking 11. The on-court pairing offensively was dangerous basically right from the start. Namely, his budding two-man game with Joel Embiid. ![]() The other two ways Harden has helped improve the Sixers will be more evident on the court. The moves that Morey was allowed to make because of it should set up the Sixers to be more ready come playoff time. Harden opting out of his player option to open extra space for Morey was extremely beneficial. He can play perimeter defense and knock down threes to space the floor. House has postseason experience from his time with Harden back with the Houston Rockets. He was consistently out-working Sixers players to loose balls and rebounds. Tucker just got done proving he is one of those guys against the 76ers. In the heat of the playoffs, you need guys who are at the very least not liabilities on one end of the court. Too many of their supporting cast were “one-dimensional” players, meaning they were good at offense or defense, but not both. In the latest second-round exit by the Sixers, they clearly lacked that edge and toughness needed in the postseason. Pretty damn good and don’t think he is done yet So far this off-season Daryl Morey has added: ![]() This could be a big deal because both players, theoretically, significantly help the 76ers come playoff time. Meaning neither Tucker nor House would be Sixers right now. He would not have had access to the non-taxpayer midlevel exception and the full biannual exception. Had Harden simply opted in and taken the $47.4 million, Morey would have been restricted in the avenues he could take to better the roster. The most obvious way Harden has helped the 76ers this offseason is by taking that pay cut. Harden’s actions have backed up all his talk of wanting to win whatever the cost.īoth on and off the court, Harden has improved this 76ers team. Morey was also able to trade Danny Green for De’Anthony Melton on draft night, bringing in a more youthful perimeter defender and floor spacer with some ball-handling ability. Tucker and Danuel House were signed using the midlevel and biannual exceptions – neither of which would have been fully available had Harden opted in. With Harden taking a pay cut for the upcoming season, Sixers GM Daryl Morey was able to flesh out the supporting cast. The deal could wind up being a win-win for both Harden and the 76ers. While Harden left some money on the table by declining his $47.4 million player option for next season ($14.4 million to be exact), he did not sacrifice much else.įree agent James Harden has agreed on a two-year, $68.6M deal, including a player option, to return to the 76ers, sources tell ESPN. The new deal is for two years, with a player option in the second year, and is worth $68.6 million. James Harden’s new deal with the Philadelphia 76ers was officially announced Wednesday evening by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
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