The Philadelphia 76ers haven’t been as consistent as they would’ve liked, but they’re still a team to look out for in the playoffs.
That shouldn’t come as a surprise, considering they have one of the most dominant two-way players in the league in Joel Embiid and a rising star in Tyrese Maxey.
However, even though people don’t seem to be talking about him anymore, James Harden has quietly been stellar throughout the whole season.
As a matter of fact, the former MVP has now recorded ten or more assists in 18 of the 28 games he’s played this season, and he’s currently leading the league in assists per game at 11.2 — which is tied for the highest average in his career.
James Harden in the Sixers win over the Lakers:
24 PTS | 7 REB | 13 AST | 75.6 TS%
He’s now recorded 10 assists in 18 of his 28 games this season. pic.twitter.com/20EsTBfm5e
— Bradeaux (@BradeauxNBA) January 16, 2023
More than that, Harden hasn’t hesitated to embrace a different role for Doc Rivers‘ team since arriving in the City of Brotherly Love.
They don’t need him to be that explosive scorer who could go up for 40 any given night anymore, and instead need him to be more of a facilitator and a table-setter.
And he’s most definitely lived up to that task by proving again that he’s one of the finest playmakers in the Association.
The Sixers hold an 18-10 record when Harden plays, and he’s put up 18 double-doubles and three triple-doubles over the course of the season.
They’re currently sitting on a 27-16 record and the fourth spot in the Eastern Conference, trailing the top-seeded Boston Celtics by 4.5 games.
So, even though they’re still a work in progress, they’ll most definitely be a team to look out for as long as their Big 3 is healthy.
