Today Harden completed his debut at the 76ers under the expectation of all, contributing 27 points, 12 assists and 8 rebounds of quasi-triple-double data, personal plus-minus +35, ranking first on the team, stunning everyone, so that the 76ers teammates, fans and management are very face-saving.
The fans are happy, but also keep sane. Referring to Harden's past debut experience in the new team, we will find that Harden has not had such a debut performance for the first time, but in the end he still broke up with the team.
The Rockets can't be saved
During the 2012 offseason, the Rockets acquired Harden on a trade.
In the 2012-13 opener, Harden played for the Rockets, scoring 37 points, 6 rebounds, 12 assists, 4 steals and 1 block in 44 minutes, 12 assists, 4 steals and 1 block, becoming the first player in NBA history to score at least 30 points and 12 assists on his debut after switching to a new team.
Rockets fans see such a Harden, how can not love, all at once gave him all the praise. Seeing him as the cornerstone of the team, the name "Haki stone" comes from this.
After becoming the cornerstone of the team, the Rockets gave everything they had, built a team around Harden, and signed superstars such as Howard, Paul, and Westbrook to assist him, so that he not only won a few scoring kings, but also the regular season MVP, and finally reached the Western Conference Finals.
But everything changed at some point in January 2021, when on Jan. 13, when the Rockets lost 100-117 to the Lakers, Harden scored 31 minutes, 5-of-16 shooting, and had 16 points, seven rebounds and six assists. Statistics have found that Harden has scored no more than 20 points in 4 consecutive games, which is the first time in Harden's Rocket career.
Then there was news that although the Rockets were trying to retain, Harden had already decided. The Rockets had no choice but to trade him out for the Brooklyn Nets, where Durant and Irving were waiting for him, and their combination could fulfill his aspirations to win the championship.
The Nets set him free
Harden, who was traded to the Nets, soon ushered in the first game of his Nets career. In the Nets' 122-115 home win over the Magic, Harden had 32 points, 12 rebounds, 14 assists, 4 steals and 9 turnovers, a quasi-quadruple-double stat that was better than his rocket debut.
Harden, who played smoothly in the Nets, was very moist, but fate made him a small joke, first when the Nets played the Eastern Conference semifinals, Irving accidentally stepped on the letter brother to announce the season reimbursement, followed by his hamstring injury affected the play, the Nets lost to the Bucks, withdrew from the championship competition.
When they were preparing to make a comeback in the new season, Irving was restricted from playing because he did not get vaccinated, Durant suffered an early injury due to playing time too long, and in the end, Harden carried the Nets forward, and the exhausted Harden could not stand it, and once again sought a trade, asking the team to send him to the 76ers who were more championship-oriented.
Although the Nets are reluctant to do so, since they can't keep it, let him go.
A few words to Harden
Now Harden has arrived at the 76ers as he wished, and his debut is still amazing, but the data is slightly inferior to the previous two debuts.
Of course, it is still too early to make up our minds, after all, Harden and Embiid and the 76ers still need time to run into each other, and I hope harden will not start to bear the burden as soon as there is a bad situation like the previous two times. After all, the Nets don't have Irving, there's Durant, and if the 76ers injure Embiid, harden is left alone to lead the team.
If this is the case again, even if Harden's debut is amazing, it is estimated that no team will dare to ask for it again.