Recently, the most sensational in the free trade market is the scandal between Harden and Philadelphia. Philadelphia was interested in harden until he joined the Nets. Now, more than a year later, Philadelphia seems to have another chance to get Harden, and they seem to believe that there will be an excellent chemistry between Harden and Embiid that can smoothly impact the championship.
However, some people have different opinions. Mo Dakhil, a reporter for the US media Bleacher Report, wrote a long article listing 4 reasons to prove that Harden and Embiid are not actually a good partnership. Philadelphia should have better chase targets. Here's a detailed report.
One or two people do not blend in the block
The blocking between Harden and Embiid looks overwhelming, with a former MVP player and a quasi-MVP player being able to score in any way on the court. But the way the two cover the ball is different. Harden is a master blocker who prepares his teammates for cover and has plenty of scoring options when he's on the court. Harden can score by shooting three-pointers, hitting the basket, etc. He had the greatest success with the help of a big man who struggled to shrink to the basket and put pressure on the defensive end. Big men like former teammate Capela and current teammate Clarkston are ideal blocking partners.
However, according to relevant statistics, Embiid has only scored 21% of the scoring percentage when he is a cover object this season. He prefers back-to-back singles and mid-range shots, dominates a lot of balls, and does not like to block the basket. The blocking between Harden and Embiid is not so fluid.
Second, the compatibility of Harden and the big man
Harden actually lacks cooperation with the top interior in his career. His best interior partner was howard during the Rockets, where they worked together for three seasons, but the results were not ideal. Howard once wanted to touch the ball in the lows several times, but the Rockets didn't want to perform such a tactic. Embiid is a bigger player than Howard in the lower post. According to statistics, Embiid's back-to-back singles account for 38.5% of all his rounds, and the 76ers score 1.08 points per round (low singles including passing).
Over the years, when the ball wasn't in Harden's hands, his efficiency would become less and less efficient. He's a dominant ball-handler, and that's a fact that can't be changed. According to Shams, that's one of the reasons the Nets are willing to break up with him. Whether Harden can still contribute to embiid when he has a lot of ball rights needs to be marked with a question mark.
Third, Harden's defensive details are problematic
Harden has never been a good defensive player, and his lack on the defensive end can never be ignored. Especially on the outside, the team will cover up his defensive flaws by adopting a plan to switch people defensively. When Harden is on the defensive end, he always seems very apathetic, as if it doesn't have anything to do with him. Philadelphia head coach Rivers, whose coaching style has always been defensive, has been in the league's top 5 defensive intensity in January. When Harden joins, the team's style may change, which is not good news.
Fourth, Harden can not ignore the hidden dangers
Since Houston, Harden has been plagued by hamstring injuries. He played eight games for the Rockets before the trade last year, played only 36 games for the Nets after the transfer, and missed eight games this season, which is a problem that Philadelphia cannot ignore.
Statistically, Harden's stats are also declining year by year, and this year is also his worst shooting percentage since his rookie season (41.4%), and the 32-year-old seems to be facing a career downturn. Meanwhile, Harden can opt out of the contract this offseason. Assuming Harden chooses the most lucrative possibility, he will execute the $47.4 million player option price and subsequently sign a 4-year contract extension with Philadelphia that will result in $62.5 million in revenue in his final year. Harden turned 37 that season, and he really deserves that much money philadelphia gives him?
In summary, Dakhil believes that Harden is not the optimal solution for Philadelphia. He thinks Beal is a better fit for Embiid, who has a great no-ball ability, he can play the biggest role around Embiid, and he's only 28 years old, which is far superior to Harden.
Another possible option is Lillard. The Blazers recently sent away the team's main players Powell and Covington, all of which indicate that they are going to enter the reconstruction phase. Lillard's big contract is bound to be a problem they need to solve, especially lillard's performance since the Olympics has been a bit of a struggle. Lillard's outside scoring ability can better fill Philadelphia's flaws, far more suitable than Harden.
If Harden does join Philadelphia, are you optimistic about his future development on the team? Compared to that, is Bill and Lillard more suitable for Philadelphia? Feel free to leave a message in the comments section and speak your mind.
(Text/Yuwen Basketball)