PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia 76ers are off to a very good start to the James Harden era. They are 3-0 since the superstar guard teamed with Joel Embiid. The two have been very tough to stop.
Embiid was already a dominant player before the Philadelphia debut of Harden, and The Beard, with his shooting ability and high basketball IQ, has made life easier for the big fella.
Harden has told Embiid to trust him with the ball, and he will get him some open looks. He doesn’t have to do it all by himself anymore now that he has Harden next to him.
“I continue to tell Jo, he’s just so used to just dribbling up and having to go 1-on-1 which he’s great at, but I try to make the game easier for him in the sense of ‘OK, you give me the ball whenever the game slows down and whatnot, I can get you some easy ones so you don’t have to go against a defender every single time,” said Harden. “You can get your little 15- or 18-footer or you can get a layup’.”
Embiid has also changed his game a bit. He normally has not been a roller when it comes to setting picks. He is normally a guy who will pop off a screen and go from there. With Harden, he is rolling. That is a development to watch through the rest of the season.
“We’re smart basketball players,” Embiid stated. “We have the same goals, locked in, it’s not just about us. It’s about them, Tyrese (Maxey) and all the other guys, but he’s an extremely smart basketball player. He knows how to play, all about the team.”
The Sixers have a long way to go with this duo, but the early returns have been very encouraging.
“The more we can figure that out and get that more times than not, I think it’s gonna be difficult because we create so much indecision,” Harden added. “Now our shooters are getting shots and now everybody’s easting. It’s a process, but we’re in a good space right now.”
This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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