Too often the 76ers have been undone by their inability to surround Joel Embiid with enough help. Saturday, James Harden stepped up. It was the kind of performance the 76ers needed to start this postseason, writes rich_hofmann.
This season, Philadelphia still had its problems when he was not on the floor. The roster got deeper last offseason with addition of veterans such as Tucker and, but the Sixers were outscored by 2.1 points per 100 possessions when Embiid was not playing, according to Cleaning The Glass.
It was what the Sixers surely had hoped for when they paired them last season. A prodigious playmaker who could break down defenses. A release valve for Embiid, one who can punish opponents and maintain advantages. Harden splashed 3s on the Nets, showing his strength after soreness in his left Achilles kept him in and out of the lineup over the final 11 games of this season. He droppedHe also looked pensive at times around the rim, getting blocked three times and unable to finish others. He asserted his body felt powerful despite the injury, though it was clear he was still not all the way back.
“Best playmaker in the league by far,” Embiid said. “But we don’t want him, and certainly me, I don’t want him to fall in love just with that. He needs to be aggressive and he was today, just attacking. By him attacking it collapses the defense and creates more open shots for everybody else. You know, in the dunker, he can drop off passes. The key is not just being a playmaker, just being aggressive, going downhill and creating for himself and everyone else.
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