Breaking Down James Harden’s Debut With The 76ers
Harden’s long-awaited debut with the 76ers happened last night. As a critic of the trade, I was crest fallen when I learned things went well.
I’m not going to bury the lead here. I was not a fan of the James Harden trade from the 76ers side. In my mind, people were overreacting to the acquisition of Harden and glossing over the loss of Seth Curry. Sure, Harden is a star player, but the 76ers weren’t contenders. Right?
After a month of experiencing hamstring tightness, Harden made his Philly debut last night against the Timberwolves. I grudgingly have to admit that things went well. Harden looked spry and in shape. He worked well with Embiid.
I still am not a fan of the trade, but now’s not the time for that. In the spirit of eating my words, here’s my breakdown of the James Harden trade.
Foul-Drawing
Guarding the 76ers was hard enough before this trade. Joel Embiid’s guard-like handles and fakes make him an impossible guard. Not only is he built like a tank, he has cat-like agility.
Embiid leads the league in free throw makes. AS A CENTER. The last time that happened was in 1996 when David Robinson did it with the Spurs. Not bad company. Embiid is also second in the league in total attempts behind Giannis and first in free-throw attempts per game (11.3).
Embiid was already having a historically good foul-drawing season for his position. Adding in James Harden makes guarding this team the biggest headache ever. In case you forgot, Harden is the most prolific foul-drawer of the decade. His body of work speaks for itself.
| Year | Free Throw Attempts | Lead Over 2nd Place |
| 2012-13 | 792 | 42 (Durant in second place) |
| 2014-15 | 824 | 170 (Westbrook in second place) |
| 2015-16 | 837 | 174 (Cousins in second place) |
| 2016-17 | 881 | 41 (Westbrook in second place) |
| 2017-18 | 727 | 86 (Giannis in second place) |
| 2018-19 | 858 | 172 (Giannis in second place) |
| 2019-20 | 800 | 171 (Giannis in second place) |
From 2014-2020, Harden averaged 10.7 free throws per game. If there were ever a duo meant to draw fouls, you’re looking at them. Guess what they did in their first game together?
Pray
- The duo went a combined 19/22 from the charity stripe
- Philly shot 36 foul shots on the night, drawing 27 Minnesota fouls
- Of those 27 fouls, Harden/Embiid combined for 17 of them
- 63% of the T-Wolves’ fouls went to one of those two last night
PRAY
Embiid-Harden Partnership
I know it took a while to get here, but let’s talk about this duo. How well did Embiid + Harden do? Let’s see.
I love this action. Harden gets a running start off-ball, straight into a handoff with Embiid. Good luck stopping that.
Towns can’t do anything here. He tries to backpedal on this screen, leaving Embiid open. A timely bounce pass leads to an easy Embiid mid-ranger. Too easy.
Towns can’t leave Embiid, so Harden gets a pocket of space to the rim out of this handoff. Again, too easy.
The lesson from all of this? This duo is a bitch to guard.
Getting Downhill + Playing Out of Double-Teams
This isn’t about Embiid/Harden, but it’s worth mentioning regardless. Philly’s offense was electric for a few reasons. The ball zipped around the perimeter like a bullet. Out of double-teams, they didn’t hold the ball. It was magnanimous.
Downhill drives/screening actions were also a staple of this game. I know it’s early, but the 76ers aren’t hiding their new game plan. ATTACK. These were the very best examples of such last night;
Korkmaz gets downhill off of an Embiid screen. Rapid-fire perimeter passing leads to a Maxey three.
Weird camera angles aside, another nice action after Harden is hedged.
These swing actions were by far the most encouraging thing I saw from this game. If the 76ers can play this well out of double-teams and traps, it’s hard to stop them.
Even if their perimeter shooting isn’t great, they can generate looks by simply moving the ball. Keeping a defense on their toes with two juggernauts like this is impossible. But the 76ers may have found a way to do so, anyway.
Defense?
My biggest question with Harden, other than his level of fitness, was defense. Losing Ben Simmons already dented the best defense in the NBA last season. Adding one of the worst defenders in the NBA was sure to make things worse, right?
Not exactly. Sure, there were moments like this;
But, there were also moments like this;
Harden didn’t do much on defense. Most possessions were him idly guarding Jarred Vanderbilt or Patrick Beverley. This shows me that the 76ers don’t trust Harden’s defense. Other teams are going to attack him. How will he and his team fare when that inevitably happens?
What’s The Ceiling On The 76ers?
Not to be a prisoner of the moment, but Harden’s debut went swimmingly. While I wasn’t a fan of this move, I can grudgingly admit that fact. Embiid still got his post touches and rolls to the rim. The offense looked sharp. Adding Harden gives them another gear.
Calling the 76ers contenders is jumping the gun. But, the addition of Harden is a big one. Even in a competitive Eastern Conference, winning a playoff series seems realistic. Anything more than that is foggy as of right now.
I still have my drawbacks. The defense worries me, and so does the floor spacing. Not everything has been solved. That’s why reps now become imperative for the 76ers. If Embiid and Harden stay healthy until April, a title becomes an easier pull to swallow.
All of this is to say, James Harden’s debut with the T-Wolves was a success. Now it’s time to test that theory in the playoffs.
What Are Your Thoughts On Harden’s Debut with the 76ers? Leave A Comment Down Below!
Follow My Instagram & Facebook To Never Miss A Post: @hoopnotions
