For the first half of the 2021-22 National Basketball Association season, the Philadelphia 76ers were being held back by the enigmatic Ben Simmons saga.
After head coach Doc Rivers said last spring he wasn’t sure Simmons could be the point guard of a championship team, the 6-foot-11 guard cut off all contact between himself and the organization.
When Philly shipped Simmons up I-95 to the Brooklyn Nets and acquired superstar guard James Harden, it looked like the team had not only rid itself of the Simmons drama but had come out of it landing on its feet.
Unfortunately, the Sixers version of Harden appears to be a very low-quality copy of his Rockets iteration.
Should the team consider trading him this offseason in order to reload for a serious title run in 2023?
Is He In Decline?
Whether it’s due to age, the aftereffects of the hamstring injury he suffered a year ago or some other reason, Harden has been playing this season as if he’s washed up.
He shot just 41.0 percent from the field and 33.0 percent from 3-point range in the regular season, and those struggles have continued in the playoffs.
James Harden on the Sixers is averaging fewer
PPG
RPG
SPG
BPG
FGA
FG%
on more MPGthan when he was on the Nets this season, where he reportedly had quit on the team. pic.twitter.com/ePJAQA3eaE
— StatMuse (@statmuse) May 3, 2022
With Joel Embiid out of action for at least the next game or two because of an orbital fracture and concussion, it has been up to Harden to step things up, but he hasn’t.
In Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals versus the Miami Heat, Harden had the opportunity to justify the price Philly paid to get him, as it also gave up Seth Curry and Andre Drummond, but he shot just 5-of-13 and scored a pedestrian (by his standards) 16 points.
Did James Harden hit South Beach at halftime of tonight's Game 1 in Miami? I couldn't find him in the second half.
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) May 3, 2022
The James Harden that showed up tonight pic.twitter.com/ph4XpvW7bE
— Pickswise (@Pickswise) May 3, 2022
This comes in stark contrast to the three-year run he had from 2018 to 2020 when he led the league in scoring each season and averaged 33.7 points a game, as well as 7.9 assists.
Back then, Harden was the darling of advanced stat geeks, as he put up unreal numbers in many of those categories.
Now, even though his true shooting percentage is still high, it is misleading, as all those extra misses lead to fast breaks and early offense for Sixers opponents.
Without Embiid, Philly simply has no margin of error, especially against a veteran Heat squad that is very well-coached, doesn’t make mistakes, and doesn’t beat itself.
Now Is The Time To Trade Harden (If That’s The Right Move)
The Los Angeles-area native is 32 years of age, and even if he isn’t in decline yet, he doesn’t have many good years left in him.
Furthermore, Embiid has entered his prime, and he is injury-prone.
If the Sixers are going to win their first NBA championship since 1983 while Embiid is still dominant, and if it will take trading Harden, they must trade him this offseason.
If Harden simply needs another offseason to fully heal his hamstring and return to his old form, that could be a good selling point for a potential trade partner.
Next year will be the final year on his current deal, and as an expiring contract, he could present some additional value for a team that needs salary cap relief next summer.
NEXT: James Harden Has Proven He Can't Carry The 76ers