Sixers coach Doc Rivers wants James Harden to shoot more often, even though Harden has connected at a low percentage in recent games, according to Joe Vardon of The Athletic. “You’ve got to be careful to keep him in scoring mode, and not put him in passing mode, because he’ll go there,” Rivers said. Harden has officially taken 11 and 12 field-goal attempts in his last two outings and has averaged 17.6 points over the last five games.
We have more on the Sixers:
- The 76ers are 7-2 in games that Harden has played, a promising start with his latest team, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes. Harden has asserted himself on the court as a leader and has made a good impression on his new teammates. “He’s a good teammate,” Rivers said. “Guys like him. And most of the time, guys like anyone who passes, to be honest. I think guys are already finding ways — ‘I can score off this cut. I can do things like this.’ It’s still a learning process. But you ingratiate yourself to your teammates really quickly when you start passing to them.”
- Joel Embiid could use more rest but the team can’t really afford it at this point in the season, Pompey notes in a separate story. “I started feeling (fatigue), but I have to keep pushing because we have 15 more games,” he said. Embiid, one of the NBA’s leading Most Valuable Player candidates, has averaged 35.8 MPG this month and has played 56 games, five more than he has in each of the past two regular seasons.
- Embiid remains baffled by the Ben Simmons saga, as he told Draymond Green on the Warriors forward’s podcast (hat tip to Ky Carlin of Sixers Wire). “I just didn’t understand what was going on, honestly. I didn’t understand what happened and what led up to that whole situation. To this day, I don’t understand. Even when you look at it and I don’t have any problems with him and like I say, obviously we didn’t win the championship together, but in the regular season, we went dominant every single season.”
Great call by Doc, you want Harden as a huge scoring threat not in a passing mode. Throw back to his 40 points per game scoring spree.
They don’t need an elite playmaker they need to scare teams with Embid and hardens scoring ability
Yes, dribble dribble dribble into oblivion ISO Harden ball is exactly what the Doc ordered
Harden’s effectiveness was always about drawing fouls and living on the charity stripe. The refs are calling things differently and Harden has lost much of the athleticism that made drawing fouls easy for him.
Sixers will become unwatchable if Harden is asked to raise his point total. Between him and Joel game broadcasts will last so long.
Harden iso ball also dropped 40 points on almost every team in the nba in a single season I believe.
As for the fouls. The fouls only worry me in the playoffs cause refs don’t call them. We can’t rely on getting those calls. But if Harden can get in his bag and hit some step backs or beat his man and drive the lane it’ll make him more dangerous and harder to defend.
It still won’t be enough. He needs to get to the FT line to get the extra 8-12 points a night. Refs aren’t giving it up. He’s been crying and complaining but he’s going to have to earn those points. jbl is right, he has probably lost the athleticism to earn those points.
The Sixers with Harden have turned into one of the slowest and more unwatchable teams in the association. Nobody wants to see a team shoot 50 free throws a game, its unbelievably boring. Harden has lost considerable athleticism, he simply can’t blow by ANYBODY anymore. The whistle is the only thing he relies on, even his ball distribution has taken quite a hit as a result of his lost explosiveness. Moreys obsession with acquiring James has officially cost Joel Embiid any chance he had of shooting for a championship. Harden isn’t a winner, never has been a winner, and never will be one. His game, even at its peak, isn’t one that will ever translate into sustained playoff success.
B I N G O!
And, for that matter, strange as it may sound, Joel isn’t a winner – and Doc isn’t a winner.
That combination will win GAMES but not anything meaningful.
Maybe that is the problem Joel… that you didn’t understand, right?
Communication is the key to every & all relationships!
You’re going to blame EMBID??? This honestly seems like you didn’t know how to add to the conversation so you made something up that no one previously said.
Horrible take.
I don’t necessarily agree with El Don on where he’s coming from… it assumes Embiid is being honest. I think Embiid is full of it and always covering his behind… but I definitely agree to blame Embiid. @jump shot above called it right, Embiid is good at winning GAMES, but not anything meaningful.
Right.. and so since Simmons was the one with the problem he’s the one that should have communicated. It’s not anyone else’s job to guess or read minds.
Embiid ain’t the brightest tool in the shed if he doesn’t how and why what happened happened. It’s not rocket science. And I don’t really buy it.
Water under the bridge at this point, though. Or it should be but the media will keep milking this for as long as it can.
The sixers hate in here is laughable. When u are wrong u have 2 options. Admit you’re wrong, or keep going with the same lazy Narrative.
So, which option are you choosing??
13,
You can change from wrong to right.
Change topics.
Become uninterested.
Or Go with a new narrative.
Why do people insist there are only 2 options to things? Well, i do psychologically, rhetorical question.
Geez after the Hawks series ……
The whole world knew except Embiid.
Like who cares. I just pray Sixers get Nets in playoffs. We’ll see if Embiid and Harden show up.