The Philadelphia 76ers seemed relatively happy to move on from James Harden, trading the All-Star guard at a perceived loss in value just to get him out of the building. Now that Harden is speaking about his experiences in Philadelphia, 76ers’ star Joel Embiid might be even happier a move was made.
When Harden demanded a trade this summer and vowed to never play for the 76ers’ organization again, Embiid backed Philadelphia and president of basketball operations Daryl Morey. Even as other NBA teams hoped the 76ers’ drama would incentivize Embiid to demand a trade, the 2022-’23 MVP insisted he was happy in Philadelphia and wanted to finish his career with the team.
- Joel Embiid stats (career): 27.2 points per game, 11.2 rebounds per game, 1.7 blocks per game
Harden and Embiid attempted to make things work for a few seasons, but the connection and on-court fit never gelled together perfectly. Once it became clear to Morey that Harden wouldn’t return and the team started playing fine without him, a push from ownership helped usher a deal through.
Embiid and the 76ers were ready to focus on basketball, competing in a tough Eastern Conference with confidence that Tyrese Maxey could thrive in his expanded role. Then, Harden took a shot at his former team.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday at his introductory Clippers’ press conference, Harden made it very clear he was happy to get out of Philadelphia. As for what went wrong, he said he felt like the 76ers’ coaching staff kept him ‘on a leash’ and didn’t allow him to be the system.
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“Philly [was] just changing my role knowing I can give more, knowing I can do more, but if you want me to be honest, it’s like being on a leash. Like, me knowing, in order for us to get where we want to get to, I was going to have to be playing my best offensively whether it’s facilitating and scoring the basketball, and Joel [Embiid] as well. I never really had that opportunity. I think all that plays into where I am today…When I’m in a leash, I’m not meaning shoot the basketball every time. I meant like, I think the game and I’m a creator on the court, so if I’ve got a voice to where I can [say] ‘Hey Coach, I see this, what you think about this?’ then it’s all OK. Someone that trusts me or believes in me and understands me that I’m not a system player, I am a system.”
James Harden on what went wrong with the Philadelphia 76ers
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- James Harden career stats: 24.7 points per game, 7 assists per game, 5.6 rebounds per game
Speaking with reporters for the first time since Harden was traded, Embiid was asked about his former teammate’s comments and made it clear he saw things very differently.
“In my opinion, we gave him the ball every single possession, because he’s really good. He’s an amazing player. Obviously, being that great of a passer, I think we gave him the ball … we’d give him the ball every single possession to just go out and, you know, do his thing. And from there he had to make decisions as far as getting guys open or looking out for himself. But I thought he did a pretty good job of getting us into an offense and just passing the ball, getting guys open. That’s the reason why he won the assist title last year.
Joel Embiid on James Harden’s claims that the Philadelphia 76ers’ system put him on a leash (H/T ESPN)
Harden’s career usage rate in Philadelphia (25 percent) was lower than what he experienced with the Brooklyn Nets (28.4 percent) and Houston Rockets (33.3 percent). However, that can also be explained by the presence of Embiid and Harden’s age.
Furthermore, Harden’s issues with his role in Philadelphia call into question how long he’ll feel good about his fit in Los Angeles. Entering Friday night, Paul George (28.2 percent) and Kawhi Leonard (27.8 percent) had usage rates that suggest Harden won’t be the focal point of the Clippers’ system.
