Joel Embiid has been the most important player on the team this year, but James Harden is not too far behind.
Harden has bounced back after a rocky first year with the team in a big way. The former MVP led the league in assists and was a big reason why Embiid was able to have the season he had.
It was reported this weekend that Embiid’s knee injury could be a bit worse than just a sprained LCL. The Sixers will likely be without Embiid for at least game 1 and possibly beyond.
Harden’s time in Philly has been smooth sailing for the most part, with no major issues other than a couple of rumors until now.
The Sixers haven’t played in over a week while they awaited their second-round opponent. Harden took this time to head to Vegas, where he was seen slapping a friend during an argument.
This is in no way any slight toward James Harden, the player, but this speaks volumes about Harden’s priorities as the Sixers head into the semi-finals against a Celtics team that has undoubtedly had their number this season.
Harden came into the season speaking about his desire to win a championship and bragged about taking less money to do so but finds himself across the country three days before the team’s biggest test of the year.
Pair this with the ongoing rumors about how he would like to return to a rebuilding Houston Rockets team this off-season, Harden doesn’t really seem like he’s all that serious about winning a championship in his career.
Nevertheless, the Sixers will need Harden to step up his scoring in a big way with Embiid dealing with an injury.
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