Sixers podcast: James Harden elevates team’s status in the East

This episode of the Sixer Sense Podcast presents plenty of conversation that highlights the amazing performances of James Harden in a Sixers uniform. The All-NBA, future Hall-of-Fame player put on a show in Minnesota and New York City, spreading basketball euphoria throughout the City of Brotherly Love. We start with the recap of both games.

The latest win on the road came against New York. With Spike Lee in the audience, the Knicks’ fans got a full dose of James Harden and Joel Embiid. While the NBA MVP feasted from the foul line, Sixers fans, who took over Madison Square Garden, chanted “MVP! MVP!” We analyze the overall performance of the Sixers in this impressively dominant victory.

Against the Timberwolves on Friday night, the Sixers started James Harden at point guard for the first time, and he put on a show. According to John Clark, Harden’s debut game was the highest rated regular season game since 2001. He dished and dazzled for Philly fans, stirring up excitement and hope that we haven’t felt in quite some time. We break down that game, emphasizing the impact Harden had on Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey.

The Sixers are currently in third place, but with James Harden on board, what exactly is Philadelphia’s place in the Eastern Conference hierarchy?

We pivot toward how the Sixers stack up against other teams in the east. Now that we have an idea of how Harden impacts the team’s productivity, a clearer picture has been painted. Although it is a small sample size, we consider his addition to the team and compare how the Sixers match up versus the playoff contenders in the conference.

We look at teams like the Milwaukee Bucks, Atlanta Hawks, Miami Heat, Boston Celtics, and Brooklyn Nets and try to determine if the 76ers are the better team. There’s plenty to debate, especially when you consider factors like Joel Embiid’s career season, Tyrese Maxey’s emergence, and James Harden’s stellar play.

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