Since the beginning of the season, the topic of Harden's status has been discussed. With a quasi-triple-double of 24.6 points, 10.9 assists and 8.5 rebounds per game with an average of 47.1 shots per game and a three-point shooting rate of 36.6 percent per game, Harden had a high-double with the Nets in the first half of the season and a big decline in offensive efficiency. In many games, Harden's shooting rate is miserable, and he is not as sharp as he has been in previous seasons in scoring, which also makes him a lot of questions.
Because of the downturn on the offensive end, Harden also created a certain gap with the Nets, and finally, at the end of the trade deadline, Harden was sent to the 76ers by the Nets in exchange for chips such as Simmons, Curry Jr. and Drummond. In the games he played for the Nets this season, although Harden was still averaging 22.5 points, 8 rebounds and 10.2 assists per game, his shooting percentage dropped to a new low of 41.4% since his rookie season, and his three-point shooting rate was only 33.2%, and his offensive efficiency was very bad.
After joining the 76ers, affected by a hamstring injury, Harden did not immediately play in the game. In the first four games, Harden had 27 points, 8 rebounds and 12 assists, 29 points, 10 rebounds and 16 assists, 26 points, 9 rebounds and 9 assists, 25 points and 11 assists. Driven by Harden's outstanding performance, the 76ers won all four games.
But the good times did not last long, and after missing the next game against the Heat, Harden after the comeback fell into a slump again on the offensive end. In the next three games, Harden's shooting rate was less than 40%, and this downturn continued until the end of the season, according to statistics, in the last 10 regular season games of the season, he was only able to average 19.6 points per game, shooting only a terrible 37.2%, averaging as many as 7.2 three-point shots per game, but the shooting rate was only 30.6%. In this case, the 76ers' record in the last 10 games was not ideal, and eventually failed to enter the top three in the East, entering the playoffs as the fourth in the East, and facing the Challenge of the Raptors in the first round.
From the overall perspective of this season's regular season, Harden's performance is obviously not as good as last season's Nets, and far less than the omnipotent he once was in the Rockets. This has also made many fans very worried about it, and many media have begun to speculate about what caused Harden to fall so quickly this season. The 76ers' accompanying reporter reportedly commented harshly on his performance on the offensive end, saying: "Everyone who watches the 76ers knows that Harden has lost the jumping ability, explosiveness and speed he once had, which has affected his playing style on the court." From the reporter's words, it can be seen that Harden's fall was affected by physical fitness.
The main reason why Harden's physical fitness has declined so badly is the increase in age and the impact of injuries. During his time with the Rockets, Harden began to suffer from hamstring injuries, but at that time he was at the peak of his career, so it was not clear how much he had been affected in terms of performance. After joining the Nets, Harden's injury worsened, and he missed many games last season due to a hamstring strain. In his first game against the Bucks, he left the court early with a hamstring injury and missed the next three games, only to return in game five.
Judging from Harden's performance in the last three games, the hamstring injury did have a big impact on his state. In the first round, he was able to cut 34 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, and after his comeback, he shot only 11 of 36 shots in three games, and his three-pointers in the fifth and seventh games were only 8 of 0 and 2 of 12, and his sluggish performance also became an important reason for the Nets' final exit. This season, Harden's hamstring injuries are still repeated, which is also an important reason for his current sharp decline in bouncing power, explosiveness and speed. After losing his former physical fitness, harden will have a hard time playing as shocking offensive performances as he did in the Rockets.
In addition to being affected by injury factors, the reason why Harden has been so volatile on the offensive end this season is also an important reason for the change of league rules. In the offseason, the league made changes to the rules for players at both ends of the offensive and defensive ends, which meant that Harden could no longer inflict a foul on the free throw line as he had done in previous seasons, and he lost his most threatening weapon. In addition to the reduction in the number of free throws, Harden faces a lot of pressure when shooting because the defenders are more aggressive in their defense, which also makes him very uncomfortable.
But in any case, the most important thing for Harden at the moment is to adjust his form as soon as possible to face the challenges of the next playoffs. Their first-round opponent will be the Fifth-Place Raptors in the East, and while they have home-court advantage, the 76ers won't take much advantage in the regular season against the Raptors. In the previous few games, the 76ers lost to their opponents at home to the Raptors, harden only 3 of 12 shots in the game, and made a fatal mistake in the last minute that led to the team's loss. In short, Harden and the 76ers in the first round of the playoffs should not be taken lightly.
The 76ers are already the fourth team hardened to play for in his career, and in his previous career, neither the Thunder, rockets nor nets have won a championship, and he has not even reached the Finals since leaving the Thunder. Now at the age of 32, Harden, who has begun to enter the end of his career, must do his best to seize the opportunity this season to impact the championship. And if this season can't help the 76ers to go further in the playoffs, and his performance is not ideal, Harden is likely to face the fate of being traded again next season.