Sixers Observations: Is James Harden Back Or Not?

Is James Harden adjusting to being a new James Harden?

Adam Aaronson, whose legal name is Sixers Adam (@SixersAdam on Twitter), covers the Sixers for The Rights To Ricky Sanchez. He believes cantaloupe is the best food in existence, and is brought to you by the Official Realtor of The Process, Adam Ksebe.

---

The NBA season is officially underway, and the Philadelphia 76ers have four games under their belt -- they played a road season opener against the Boston Celtics, followed by a three-game homestand against the Milwaukee Bucks, San Antonio Spurs and Indiana Pacers.

As things stand now, the Sixers are 1-3. Their losses to Boston, Milwaukee and San Antonio were frustrating for different reasons. They were able to salvage the open to the season by taking care of business against Indiana. All in all, it was a tough way to open the season. Let’s talk about it!

James Harden: kind of back, but kind of new?

Harden’s open to one of the most critical seasons of his career was excellent: he rained threes in Boston, single-handedly keeping the Sixers afloat for most of the game before the Celtics made a big run to close things out.

Of course, it was encouraging to see Harden scoring at a high level in his season debut. But we already knew that he is capable of getting hot from three. Where Harden’s performance became particularly fascinating was the home opener. He was equally effective -- if not even more, and what intrigues me is that his success in the Milwaukee game came from very different sources than it did in the Boston game. 

After knocking down five triples in the opener, Harden only made one of seven attempts from beyond the arc against Milwaukee, and still managed to dominate the game on the offensive end for multiple stretches. 

After a brutal showing against the Spurs in which he just could not get shots to fall, he picked Indiana’s defense apart, dominating much of the game with his shot-making and passing. He put the game away in the fourth quarter. 

Harden, perhaps infamous to some extent for his rigid shot diet strictly composed of three-pointers and attempts at the rim, is now utilizing a weapon of his arsenal that we rarely see: flourishing in the mid-range.

Harden’s explosive burst is clearly not what it once was, and he is still having a bit of trouble getting to the rim consistently. But he has always been extremely strong for a guard, and he has started using that to play a unique brand of bully-ball against smaller defenders -- at times posting up, and frequently using that strength to generate separation and an open look.

Harden is not going to be as potent as Stephen Curry from beyond the arc, nor will he produce like DeMar DeRozan in the mid-range game. But him diversifying his bag, and in turn his shot chart, is a positive development for the Sixers as they navigate his evolution. Between his newfound malleability as a scorer at all three levels and his passing ability that remains brilliant, Harden can absolutely be the primary ball-handler of a championship offense. He may not be an MVP candidate, but he is damn good.

Joel Embiid weirdness

Embiid was uncharacteristically sloppy on both ends of the floor in the first two games of the season, shooting just 38.5 percent from the field and committing 10 turnovers, all while not being particularly impactful as a rim protector.

After the Milwaukee game, Doc Rivers told the media that Embiid had a minor case of plantar fasciitis during the offseason, and that it has contributed to his conditioning being lesser than ideal. Embiid confirmed that he barely participated in basketball activities during the offseason because of it.

Starting in Monday night’s game against Indiana, Rivers said he would be providing Embiid with a bit more rest than usual as the big-man ramps up his fitness level, keeping his stints on the court shorter than they typically are. 

Playing your way into peak physical shape is always an adventure, and often not in a good way. We’ve seen Embiid navigate this type of situation before, and it isn’t always pretty.

With all of that being said, it is imperative, as always, that the Sixers prioritize Embiid’s long-term health more than anything else, including winning regular season games. Whether that means monitoring Embiid’s minutes for a while, giving him a few more games off than anticipated or anything else, the Sixers must remember that none of their goals can be accomplished with a compromised version of their best player.

Tobias Harris fitting the puzzle

Harris’ approval rating in Philadelphia has perhaps never been as high as it was entering this regular season, as he proved his determination to step up and adjust his role during last year’s playoffs, being more decisive with the ball and taking on challenging defensive assignments.

Nothing Harris has done so far this season has been particularly noteworthy. But the style with which he is playing remains a welcomed improvement -- he continues to improve his processing speed while adopting a much healthier assortment of shot attempts -- far fewer non-paint two-point attempts and more launching from beyond the arc. He’s also been more eager than usual to attack smaller defenders, who are often matched up with him just because their teams put all of their focus on Embiid and Harden.

Only time will tell if Harris can keep this up for an entire regular season and playoff run -- he has never done it before -- but even while he posts ordinary statistics, his continued willingness to adapt will be valuable for this team as it strives to find an identity.

Overall feelings

Starting the season 1-3 is not as disastrous as some will profess, even while including the team’s home loss to the very young San Antonio Spurs. 

Of course, for several reasons this first stretch of the season has been disappointing. And maybe my excitement over the 2022 NATIONAL LEAGUE CHAMPION PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES is giving me rose-colored glasses. 

Here’s my honest state of mind: most of the concerning parts of this open to the season have to do with Embiid. Harden’s play has been more than satisfactory, the bench looks flawed but good enough to get by for a while and there are no injury concerns right now. 

You never want your best player to be at the center of uncertainty, but Embiid already seems like he is at least close to turning a corner here. And, frankly, I trust Embiid to figure things out more than I trust any other member of the entire Sixers organization -- players, coaches or executives. 

Certainly, the start to the year has been odd, and in a lot of ways that is not a positive thing. Rivers has already made a few questionable decisions and followed them up with even more questionable quotes. But remember, these are just four out of 82. I know the urge to panic is real -- just keep in mind that this is a very young season.

Looking forward

The Sixers have their first lengthy road trip of the season coming up. They face the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday and Friday nights. The following day they travel to Chicago for a matchup with the Bulls, and then they finish the trip on Monday against the Washington Wizards.

We know by now that the Raptors always give the Sixers fits of some sort. Despite the Sixers having a clear talent advantage on paper, I think a split of these two games is probably the most likely outcome. Chicago and Washington are both very beatable (to different extents). 

This could be a busy stretch for PJ Tucker, who defended Jayson Tatum and Giannis Antetokounmpo in the first two games of the season. It would not be a surprise at all to see him draw the Pascal Siakam assignment in Toronto -- he will then see DeMar DeRozan in Chicago, and could even get a crack at guarding Bradley Beal.

What I am watching for most during the trip, though, is how involved Tyrese Maxey is in the team’s half-court offense. He has always been brilliant in transition, but his half-court production when playing alongside guys like Embiid and Harden has been a bit underwhelming to start the season, especially in the Indiana game. 

We’ve seen Maxey score in bunches against the Raptors before -- most notably in the first game of last year’s round one playoff series, when he nearly dropped 40. The Bulls and Wizards both have very exploitable perimeter defenders who Maxey has the ability to score on at will. Hopefully for the Sixers, next week we will discuss Maxey looking more like the All-Star candidate many people believe he can be this season.