Top 3 skills of James Harden with Sixers: Drawing Fouls
There was a time when the Sixers could not have their point guard on the floor because he was a liability. Now, with James Harden? Talk about night and day. Getting to the free throw line throughout an entire game is an invaluable skill Harden brings to the 76ers.
For the nine years he spent as a Rocket, James Harden averaged 10.4 free throw attempts per game. If this is not astounding enough for you, he shot close to 86 percent from the line. If you are wondering what his Brooklyn numbers were from the charity stripe, Harden averaged 7.7 trips to the foul line and still shot an impressive 86 percent. The bottom line? His ability to draw fouls is an asset that we should all be grateful for, especially knowing Embiid has the exact same ability.
What does this mean for the offense? It simply means that the team now has two elite scorers who can get easy points and control the pace of a game. The other team is going on a run? Let Embiid or Harden get to the line and score baskets that will end that run. Also, it puts pressure on defenses to play conservative. Why is this critical?
Let’s just say if a team does not want to be in the foul penalty with nine minutes left in a quarter, they can’t hand check or take sneaky swipes at the ball should Embiid or Harden have possession. It’s all about picking your poison if you’re guarding either star – play off Harden and Embiid and they drill a jumper in your face. Press up on them and they will adroitly get you to commit a foul.
Lastly, Harden will force defenders to think twice about fouling him because Embiid will draw just as many fouls and possibly get opponents in foul trouble early in games. This could mean more minutes for opposing role players because the other team’s stars are riding the bench, trying to conserve fouls. Role players guarding Harden and Embiid early in the game could mean wide lead margins going into halftime for any games they share the floor.