3 key matchups in Philadelphia 76ers-Toronto Raptors series: James Harden vs. Fred VanVleet
The battle of point guards will be an interesting one in this series. Both James Harden and Fred VanVleet were All-Stars this season. They are both physical guards who have been hobbled by injuries this year.
Hardens’ struggles shooting the ball this season are well documented and should raise a level of concern among the Philadelphia 76ers fan base. The Raptors just got back VanVleet at the end of the season so there’s no guarantee he will operating at 100.0 percent entering this series.
With the 76ers, Harden has averaged 21.0 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 10.5 assists, on 32.6 percent shooting from deep. VanVleet has averaged 20.3 points and 6.7 assists, while converting 37.7 percent of his shots from deep. Both Harden and VanVleet played well when they match up against each other’s team.
Harden is going to have to be a key factor if Philly wants to make it out of the first round. He’s probably not going to score 30 points a night anymore but if he’s an efficient shooter, with a pass-first mentality, then he can win this matchup.