MINNEAPOLIS — The Philadelphia 76ers have a new superstar in town, future Hall of Famer James Harden, who joins Joel Embiid in the team’s quest for a title in 2022. The Beard is expected to come in and enhance everything about the Sixers, and he did so in Friday’s win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Harden had 27 points on 7-for-12 shooting, hit five 3s and had 12 assists with eight rebounds in the win. On top of that, he was once again very vocal in the team’s huddles. He got on younger players Tyrese Maxey and Matisse Thybulle to remain aggressive.
“We got some really intelligent guys on this team,” Harden said after the win. “Any time I feel like I can give guys little pieces of help or encouragement, I feel like it’s my job to do so. Whether it’s Reese, whether it’s Jo, whether it’s everybody. I feel like it’s my job to go out there and help a little bit, as much as I can, and then on the floor, making their job as easy as I can.”
Thybulle, especially, will be important as the Sixers move forward with this new group. He had 11 points, seven rebounds and three steals against the Timberwolves. He played his usual top-notch defense and he received some encouragement from Harden to stay aggressive on offense, especially from deep.
“Great defender,” Harden said of Thybulle. “Very active with his hands and I try to give him confidence. When he has an open shot, knock it down and just try to help him offensively as much as I can, but great team win and we got a lot more to go.”
Thybulle, along with Maxey, was able to get out and run and take advantage of the passes from Harden.
“Guys aren’t used to running and getting the ball,” said coach Doc Rivers. “He threw a bunch of them. Matisse got a couple, and the one thing that we keep telling Tyrese is, if we can get you out in the open court, if you just run, he’ll get you the ball. Tobias (Harris) got a couple, that will be the biggest change in us because of James’ ability to see the floor.”
Harden’s presence also takes some pressure off Embiid to lead on the floor.
“It’s all about making our teammates better and that’s the goal because we can’t win alone,” said Embiid. “We’re gonna need all of them. Guys that are coming off the bench and it’s all about giving them that confidence. When we get to that point, especially in the playoffs, they’re gonna be needed.”
This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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