Former NBA player Ken Jan Martin reportedly talked about harden's big deal in an interview, saying that the Nets are the biggest winner in this deal because they get young Simmons, in addition to Curry Jr. and Drummond, who have helped the Nets a lot in improving their strength. But in terms of the 76ers, the current Harden is no longer the original Harden, he is now an older Harden, and has a lot of injuries, so the 76ers have not become a good championship team.
Ahead of the deal deadline, the Two Most Luxurious Teams on Paper in the East, the Nets and the 76ers, struck a blockbuster deal, the biggest deal of the season. The nets sent Harden, one of the Big Three, and veteran Millsap, from the 76ers for Simmons, Curry Jr. and Drummond, as well as two future draft picks. Judging from this deal, if Harden still has the peak performance of the Rockets, then the 76ers are undoubtedly the one who earns, but the problem is that the current Harden is largely no longer the original him.
So far this season, Harden has played in 44 games for the Nets, averaging only 22.5 points, 8 rebounds and 10.2 assists per game in 37 minutes per game, although still able to get a quasi-triple-double performance, Harden's shooting rate is only 41.4%, three-point shooting rate is only 33.2%, and both shooting rates have hit new lows since the rookie season. In addition to the sluggish shooting feel, Harden's competitive state this season has also been greatly questioned. Moreover, there are even communication problems between Harden and Durant and Irving, resulting in a bad atmosphere within the Nets.
And as Martin mentioned, Harden has performed so poorly this season for several reasons. First of all, Harden is now 32 years old, and there is undoubtedly a certain decline in physical fitness in all aspects. Secondly, as he gets older, the current Harden has been plagued by injuries, and since joining the Nets, Harden has suffered multiple hamstring strains, and before being traded to the 76ers, Harden missed 4 games due to a hamstring strain. Finally, the change in league rules this season has had a big impact on Harden, who is good at foul play.
However, although Harden's performance this season has declined by a lot, he is still an All-Star player in the league, and the internal and external partner formed with Embiid has also made many fans optimistic. On the one hand, Harden has a strong ability to create better offensive opportunities for his teammates, and his arrival can allow the 76ers to get more comfortable passes for the likes of Harris on the outside and Embiid on the inside. So far this season, Ha has averaged 10.2 assists on the field, which is the second highest in the league. Looking at past few seasons, when the 76ers have a passing guard, they're going to do a great job on the offensive end.
On the other hand, although Harden's current offensive efficiency is not high, there is still no team in the league that dares to relax its defense against Harden, and even when Harden's status comes, it is very necessary to pack him. In the case that the team already has a super offensive ability Embiid, the opponents of the 76ers will face the dilemma of who to focus on defending. The 76ers were eliminated early last season in large part because they lacked an offensive spot on the outside, and Harden's arrival would be a good solution to that problem.
In short, after getting Harden, judging from the current 76ers lineup, they have become a team with both attack and defense, and such a lineup will be competitive even in the entire league. However, it should be noted that from the perspective of the pattern of the league this season, the 76ers still face a lot of difficulties if they want to win the championship. In the West, the suns and warriors' current record is still at the top of the league, but due to the lack of a tall interior line, Embiid will play a huge advantage, and Harden on the outside line will not dare to easily wrap the former.
In the East, the 76ers have a lot of difficulty in trying to break out of the East. First of all, the Heat, who are currently in the first place in the East and have won five consecutive games, will also face a lot of challenges on the defensive end and the fluency on the offensive end, and secondly, last season's defending champion Bucks are still very competitive this season, and in Martin's view, they are still the most powerful team. Finally, despite the Nets' current poor record, when they have a full roster, their strength is still not to be underestimated. In addition, the Dark Horse Cavaliers and Bulls in the East will be strong opponents of the 76ers.
In short, after the 76ers welcomed Harden, what kind of heights they can achieve in the second half of the season, there is no doubt that Harden's performance will become the key to it. On the one hand, if there is a lucky way to usher in Harden, who has the peak level, then the 76ers will not be afraid of any opponent. After all, Embiid has still performed very well this season, and so far, in the 44 games embiid has played, he has averaged 29.5 points, 11.2 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game, shooting 49% from the field and 36% from three-point range.
At his peak, Harden can also lead the Rockets and the "Cosmic Warrior" to fight seven superstars, if Harden can adapt to the 76ers lineup and play a super performance, then the 76ers will be led by two superstars to impact the championship. For both the 76ers and Harden, they both need a championship trophy to prove themselves at the moment. On the other hand, injuries and run-ins will be key factors affecting the 76ers throughout the season, and if Harden remains plagued by injuries and unable to complete the expected run-in with the team, the 76ers will once again be fruitless this season.
In short, everything will have to wait for Harden to officially return and play for the 76ers for a while before the conclusion can be decided, and Martin's remarks about Harden's inability to get the 76ers to rush out of the East are still debatable, and everything will have to wait for time to prove. At present, the 76ers have officially said that Harden will have a high probability of playing against the Celtics, and believe that the game will be worth all fans looking forward to.