With the 76ers beating the Pistons 118:106, they ended the regular season and ended up in 4th place in the East with a 51-31 record, which is not very high, but it is an excellent ranking position for the 76ers.
The ranking of 4th in the East is very good, why? The reason is 2 points! First, since the 76ers are no. 4 in the East, they avoided the Nets in the first round! Although the Nets' record has declined this season, but their strength definitely has the height of impacting the championship, no matter who fights with the Nets in the East, the probability of winning the series will not be too high, and the 76ers avoid the Nets, and also avoid a dragon and tiger fight in the first round.
Point 2, the 76ers ranked 4th, if the team through the first round, there is a high probability of encountering the Heat, although this team is the 1st in the East, but more like a water-absorbing sponge, hard power is not so strong, compared to the Bucks, Nets and other strong teams, they are undoubtedly better to win, which provides the 76ers with the convenience of impacting the East Finals.
The 4th place in the East, the most suitable ranking for the 76ers, avoided the strong teams, got a very good playoff situation, and more rarely, also determined the team's main offensive direction.
Harden said in an interview: "In the previous 9 years, I had absolute ball possession, and now with Embiid around, my task and playing style have changed, and I need to make adjustments.
I need to make adjustments, Harden's words, the meaning is very clear, Embiid is the boss of the 76ers! Harden's initiative to make concessions is a very correct choice for the 76ers and Embiid, and even Harden!
Embiid ushered in a big outbreak this season, averaging 30.6 points per game, winning the scoring king this season, his shooting rate also reached 49.9%, the true shooting rate was as high as 61.6%, becoming the most terrifying scoring killer on the offensive end of the league, with him as the offensive core and the main offensive point, compared to Harden, it is undoubtedly more suitable and more able to play the threat of 76 people on the offensive end.
At the same time, Harden's words also show that he will become the commander of the offensive end of the team, focusing on passing, which is also conducive to the 76ers.
The 76ers don't lack offensive players, except for Embiid, which is a big killer! Harris is also an all-rounder on the offensive end, with inside, outside, and breakthroughs, Harden's containment and passing, which can maximize his scoring ability! At the same time, the 76ers have such a good 3-breakup as Danny Green, which will also benefit Harden! Maxi is even more because of Harden's existence, gradually becoming an All-Star level player, fast down, 3 points, breakthrough is very threatening!
In addition, Reed, Sebel, Milton, Kokmaz, and Jordan Jr. all benefited from Harden, who revitalized the 76ers' offense, making them play more and more like a whole, and the whole team participated.
Of course, for Harden's role, many fans also questioned: Isn't that Simmons? No offense just organization, and Harden defense is not as good as Simmons, the 76ers regressed.
In fact, Harden's defense is indeed inferior to Simmons, but its role on the offensive end is something simmons can't catch up with! It is true that Harden does not have the impact of Simmons, but the passing skills, Harden is only strong and not weak, not to mention Harden has a lead, which Simmons cannot provide! More importantly, Simmons's personal offense is too thin, and Harden has a lot of offensive explosiveness, and his presence with Embiid is a real dual core, which can attract the absolute defensive attention of opponents and better drive teammates.
Harden's offense is not as good as before, but now Harden plays more team, knows how to play in order to win, plays smarter, and he established the idea of Embiid as the team boss, but also avoided the 76ers hidden in the playoffs of the power problem, this team is constantly improving, their potential is amazing, the chance of winning the championship is not small.