For the first time in a long time, former Philadelphia 76ers star James Harden is flirting with another NBA Finals appearance. The Cleveland Cavaliers managed to outlast the first-seeded Detroit Pistons, routing the latter in Game 7 on the road to book a ticket to the Eastern Conference Finals where they will face the red-hot New York Knicks.
Be that as it may, the Cavs are currently where they because they have numerous, solid contributors who showed up when it mattered the most. That list, however, does not really include Harden, who has struggled in the playoffs for the most part. Heck, in their Game 7 win over the Pistons, the former 76ers guard could only muster nine points, five rebounds, and six assists. He was simply lucky that his teammates bailed him out with splendid performances across the board.
Harden’s tendency to falter when the lights are bright, however, will not escape the 76ers fanbase. After all, the franchise is well aware of the fact that he can disappear in the strangest moments, and keeping with precedence, it is bound to happen again and trip up his own ball club in the playoffs.
The 76ers can feel James Harden’s disappearing act with the Cavs coming
While Detroit was the best team in the East in the regular season, their primary weakness –– which was not having a secondary creator next to Cade Cunningham –– ultimately killed their chances. Meanwhile, Cleveland had numerous players who can make plays, and Harden certainly benefited from having those guys around him.
But now that they are slated for a collision course against a powerhouse like the Knicks, Harden playing the way he has so far in these playoffs simply won’t cut it for the Cavaliers. After the first two rounds, the former 76ers star has averaged just 20.1 points and 6.2 assists per outing while shooting just 41.5 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from beyond the arc. Worse, he has turned the ball over nearly five teams a night.
When Harden is on, he is simply unstoppable. The 76ers have seen him carry the team on his back with unreal numbers, but the most frustrating part about him is the fact that he is just as capable of laying a fat egg right after his brilliant showings. The man just quits at times, and it is difficult to make a definitive pronouncement that the Cavaliers are insulated from such a display.
While the future Hall of Famer is no longer the 76ers’ concern, it is definitely interesting to see if he can still manage to flip the narrative hovering above and around him. James Harden will be key to Cleveland getting over the hump, but he just cannot afford to stay content with the way he is playing, lest he ends up infuriating another fanbase.
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