James Harden of the Philadelphia 76ers has repeatedly said that the upcoming season will be different for him.
He said that he’s more dedicated than before and more tuned in and determined to help his team win it all.
To show how serious he is, Harden just took a major pay cut and is apparently spending a lot of time perfecting his skills.
Most all-time playoff points without winning a ring:
4,761 — Karl Malone
3,623 — Elgin Baylor
3,414 — James Harden
2,972 — Reggie Miller
2,894 — Chris Paul pic.twitter.com/PM2HrBeXrE— StatMuse (@statmuse) July 21, 2022
If Harden is able to deliver on his promises, the 76ers could make the playoffs and even the Finals.
In fact, they could even end up winning it all.
If they do that, it will finally take Harden off an NBA list that he hates.
Currently, Harden is third on a list of most all-time playoff points without winning a ring.
He has scored 3,414 playoff points without conquering the Finals, behind Elgin Baylor‘s 3,623 points and Karl Malone‘s 4,761.
Meanwhile, Reggie Miller put up 2,972 points without a ring and Chris Paul has landed 2,894 without winning the Finals.
What are the chances of Harden getting to the NBA Finals and finally slipping that ring on his finger?
Harden Going Hard
One thing is for sure: if Philadelphia is going to make the Finals, Harden will need to be in fine form.
For years, he’s been known as a player who gasses out as the season goes on – he isn’t considered a reliable playoff player.
That needs to change and Harden swears it will.
How will he overcome this conception of himself?
He will need to really spend time working on his conditioning and stamina and that means a lot of time in the gym during the summer.
More than anything, Harden will need a win-now mindset and will have to truly dedicate himself to his team and game more than ever before.
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