"Can the Philadelphia Seventy-Sixers Rely on James Harden to Make a Deep Playoff Push?"
Stephen A Smith had a discussion today on his show First Take entitled: Can the Sixers Rely on James Harden to Make a Deep Playoff Push?
I believed the question was a bad one based on poor or borrowed analysis that lacks intense scrutiny. I replied saying: Can the Los Angeles Lakers rely on #RussellWestbrook? The answer several months ago was yes. In fact, sports pundits were almost certain of a deep playoff run by the #Lakers once #Westbrook
was added to the team, but is that the case now? well, there are doubts given what we have seen, but there are those who are still optimistic. So, when we look at the past, we have to now be careful about answering questions like those. Especially when we are dealing with older players who are injury prone. Further, #JamesHardenrole is not the same here with the #sixers. Harden is coming in as a powerful support staff to help the Philadelphia 76ers big man #JoelEmbiid with #TobiasHarris and #TheFrachise (#TyresseMaxey) who is fast becoming a higher valued player who can replace #BenSimmons. One must put these into perspective. You cannot use the same analytic lenses and principles to judge and or predict the future for the #Sixers. The #Sixers need experience and support more than anything and that should be James Harden role and that is what I understand his role to be from #DarylMorey, the Sixers GM.
So, again, it would seem the analysis that went into trading Ben and Seth for James was intense and they seemed to have scored big here. The fact is, the Sixers want to make a championship run now, not next year or the following: and with the caliber and growth of players that they already have, adding experience and a formidable player would or may just do that. Further, #TheFranchise is fast becoming a valuable player even more than Ben Simmons. If truth be told, if I were the Nets, I would have wanted Maxey instead of Ben as it is still not clear from the recent press interviews whether Ben is ready to go and is able to overcome his Mental Health Issues which has sidelined him. Winning teams also need time to develop rotation, player chemistry and team dynamics with newly added players, hence the Sixers can begin to work on that now for this year and better yet next year as they may make a deep run this year but next year, they will be even more poised to win with a truly tight-knitted team.
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