3 takaways from James Harden’s Philadelphia 76ers’ debut

3 takaways from Harden’s debut: Seamless fit

It was evident early on in this matchup, that Harden knew his role and executed it to perfection. His role is simple, his primary jobs are to create for others and to be a complementary scorer to Embiid.

He’s clearly skilled enough to carry the offense for stretches of a game and that’s what the Sixers were missing prior to this trade occurring. This was a point in the third quarter that the Timberwolves went a10-2 run to end the third quarter.

In games past, Philly would have allowed Minnesota to get back into the game, but Harden came back into the game to begin the fourth quarter and the Sixers kept the Timberwolves at bey with a sizable lead for the rest of the game.

With Harden taking over the playmaking duties, a player like Maxey can focus on getting easy buckets in transition and taking advantage of weaker defenders in the half-court. Harden also opens up space for Embiid to operate on offense.

While there will be bumps in the road, like Tobias Harris adjusting to his new role in the offense, overall this fit looks great in Harden’s debut with the Philadelphia 76ers. If the chemistry continues to build, the Sixers have a shot to possibly win a title.