PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia 76ers will go as far as Joel Embiid and James Harden take them, so they need The Beard to hold up his end of the bargain on the offensive end.
Harden clearly was not the same player when Philadelphia acquired him in the 2021-22 season. He was terrific as a passer, but he was not the same scorer he once was, and he couldn’t get by defenders on the perimeter.
Recently, it appears Harden has begun to get his burst back. He is getting by defenders and getting to the rim. His field goal percentage is only 43.4%, but it’s better than the 40.2% he shot in 21 games in the 2021-22 season.
After coming off a hamstring injury and now a right foot tendon strain, Harden is beginning to look more like himself and his teammates are noticing it as well: