Sixers: Top 3 skills of James Harden in Philadelphia

"“We can be possibly looking at the next version of Kobe and Shaq when it comes to Embiid and Harden!”  – Kendrick Perkins"

When it happened, you either experienced exuberance or skepticism. James Harden became a 76er and the NBA world shook, the epicenter somewhere between Philadelphia and Brooklyn. Most likely, we can all say that we experienced relief because we were unshackled from the Ben Simmons dilemma. Whether you like the trade or dislike it, James Harden will be teaming up with Joel Embiid as arguably the best inside-outside duo in the league.

If not for time to heal his hamstring, Harden would have played by now for the Sixers. Thanks to the NBA All-Star Weekend, he was afforded even more time to rest before his debut with the 76ers. My feeling is that it was unnecessary to rush him back to play before the break, but the idea of him playing alongside Embiid is nothing short of thrilling and tempting to have him suit up wearing a Sixers jersey. Just a few more days…

What can we expect from the newest addition to the team? There are so many aspects to Harden’s game, it is difficult to choose a starting point. The accolades and numbers alone beg to start with his scoring. Yet, what about his passing? What about his ability to finish at the rim? The fact that he could put up a triple double any night, making him a multifaceted threat next to Embiid, is rousing.

The best place to start is with the skill he brings to the table that was sorely missed as Simmons sat out this season for Philly. Let’s begin with James Hardens’ ability to run the point guard position and be a natural distributor for the Sixers.

Top 3 skills of James Harden with Sixers: Playmaking

As of today, James Harden is second in the NBA in assists, dishing out 10.2 per game. The only other player averaging more dimes is Chris Paul. Harden’s assist percentage (40.4), which is an estimate of the percentage of teammate field goals a player assisted while on the floor, is also impressive. He is ranked sixth in the NBA in this category and is only behind players like Trae Young, Luka Doncic, Chris Paul, Nikola Jokic, and Dejounte Murray. Compared to who Harden replaced on the Sixers, Ben Simmons’ assist percentage is only 34.5 for his career.

The irony is that James Harden has played most of this season without Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant. Imagine what he will do next to NBA MVP frontrunner, Joel Embiid? Imagine how many open looks his teammates will get because of Hardens’ playmaking ability? What could this look like each time he is running the offense?

In the open court, we know that Tyrese Maxey and Matisse Thybulle can fly. A heads-up outlet pass by Harden, who is a threat himself to score in transition, will benefit the Sixers’ two young studs on the fast break. With Danny Green, Furkan Korkmaz, and Isaiah Joe rushing to the 3-point line, Harden will have options for a transition three each time he pushes the rock.

Then, there’s the halfcourt set. As a distributor with great court vision, he will easily get Embiid the ball in the post, making sure his defender can’t double Embiid because Harden is such a perimeter threat. As he creates off the dribble, Harden can lull defenders to sleep and allow cutters like Thybulle and Harris to make their moves while Embiid is a threat on the weak side. Of course, there’s open threes he will create for spot up shooters like Danny Green and Georges Niang.

Remember when Harden was in Houston and his lob threat to Clint Capela was unstoppable? Well, when Harden is on the floor with Paul Reed and Charles Bassey, we could see alley oops more often with any combination when they share the court. Embiid may not get up like he used to, but it does not mean Harden won’t have chances to toss lobs in a Sixers uniform.

Philly fans wanted a point guard, right? Well, we have one now, and he has developed his game to become more unselfish with the ball and spread the wealth. Expect Harden to maintain his assist production in Philly, but now let’s look at another way he will impact the game for the Sixers.