PHILADELPHIA — James Harden is on his way to the Hall of Fame regardless of whether he wins a title. He has accomplished so much in his career and is regarded as one of the greatest scorers to ever play the game.
He has won the scoring title three times and won the MVP award in 2018. He has put together one helluva career. Even in the 2022-23 season with the Philadelphia 76ers, Harden is averaging 21.4 points and 10.8 assists, which leads the league.
Cleveland Cavaliers coach JB Bickerstaff has experience with Harden during their days with the Houston Rockets. The transition Harden is going through from elite scorer to elite playmaker doesn’t shock him.
“The thing about James was there was not a play James couldn’t make even when he was scoring at the clip that he was scoring at,” said Bickerstaff. “He would always break down defenses and make the right decision. He can make all the passes, he can make all the plays out of pick-and-roll, so this isn’t something I haven’t seen before.”
The role Harden has in Philadelphia is not the same as with the Rockets. In Houston, The Beard had to do everything for it to succeed. The offense was centered around him and what he could do on the offensive end.
In Philadelphia, the offense is centered on Joel Embiid and getting him his touches. Therefore, Harden focuses on making the right basketball play.
“What James is understanding is how do I make this team better and how do I make it work with the current teammates that I have?” Bickerstaff continued. “Paying respect to big fella. How do I get him his touches? (Tyrese) Maxey, Tobias (Harris), how do I get all these guys? What James is doing is playing the position to help his team.”
On the season, Harden is shooting 45.1% from the floor and 38.9% from deep. He also has a true shooting percentage of 61.9% as he continues to work his back from previous injuries as well as be this big playmaker for the Sixers.
“I don’t think it’s anything where he has to take a step back or anything where he’s feeling a type of way,” Bickerstaff finished. “It’s how do I help this team win? And I think he’s accepting that approach.”
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