Harden slips into the spotlight

     Joel Embiid gets all the hype and attention. He is an outstanding player who is just to big for opposing players to handle. Also, it is pretty hard to miss Embiid in a crowd, as he stands at seven feet. All this aside, the 76ers took on the Los Angeles Clippers at home, and the Clippers aren't a terrible team. They were coming in with a 19-14 record, which isn't anything to sneeze at. They boast Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. They also have Luke Kennard on their roster, one of the most accurate shooters behind the arc. Needless to say, Joel Embiid and James Harden didn't really seem to mind. 

    Embiid dropped 44 points and hauled in seven rebounds. He also had two blocks and a steal. I wish I could praise Joel Embiid more, but the sad part, is that this is pretty typical Embiid. A whole lotta rebounds and a whole lotta points. 

    However Harden was also grabbing attention. Harden scored 20 points, but also had 11 rebounds and 21 assists. His triple double propelled the Sixers to a 119-114 victory over Los Angeles. And proving that it wasn't a freak incident, Harden had 13 dimes and 29 points the following game vs the Knicks. (Embiid grabbed eight rebounds and dropped 35 points, but we won't mention that.) 

    

James Harden had a monster triple double against the Clippers

Photo Credit: Sixers Wire

    Harden has obviously got into chemistry with Joel Embiid, and erased memories of an average 2021-2022 season. The Sixers need him, as P.J. Tucker has not been the player Philadelphia needed. P.J. Tucker isn't blocking contested shots, or even applying much defensive pressure at all. He isn't even scoring over five points per game (he's had 3.5, to be precise) and he isn't having a lot of assists (he's averaging 0.9, to be specific). The only stat category where he is putting up respectable numbers, is rebounds, where he is averaging 4.4 rebounds per game. Not a great year, and not what the 76ers really need or want of him. 

    Harden does seem a little discontent with Philly however, as Harden can be a free-agent next year, and is really seems interested in Houston. This may or may not be bad news, as Harden is getting more comfortable with the team, but wasn't great last year in the playoffs. 

    Tyrese Maxey could be back in the next week, so maybe James Harden's sudden stats might take a tumble, but the 76ers have won eight straight, and Harden has been a big part of that. He's been an asset to the team and has turned their season around.

The above photo was taken from a Sixers Wire article. Photographer is Kyle Ross- USA TODAY Sports. Article written by Ky Carlin. Image used for commentary.