At the start of the fourth quarter of Game 6 between the Sixers and Heath, an exhausted Doc Rivers abandoned attempts to tune his team back into him and turned directly to his competitive spirit. “Fight for it,” Rivers pleads. “Come on, guys, fight for it.” They didn’t. Miami’s lead rose to 19, then to 20, before Philadelphia narrowed the gap in garbage time, ending the game – and the season – with a 99-90 defeat.
At the moment, Rivers was addressing everyone in this Sixers collection. However, his message was probably addressed directly to James Harden. In Philadelphia’s biggest game of the season, Harden played as if he didn’t want to be there. He tried nine shots, less than anyone in the Sixers’ starting lineup, except for Danny Green, who left the game three minutes later with a knee injury. In the third quarter, Harden had more turns (two) than hits. He made another attempt in the fourth quarter. He did not attempt a free throw. His last line: 43 minutes, 11 points, nine assists, four turns.
AP Photo / Martha Lavender
“We’ve never had an offensive rhythm tonight,” Rivers said. “I didn’t like the way we played … I thought we had more.”
And Harden?
“Listen,” Rivers said. “I do not want to turn this into a referendum on James.
Fine. But the way Philadelphia handles Harden this summer will determine the future of the franchise. The Sixers mortgaged the future to acquire Harden. They exchanged Ben Simmons, their most attractive trading chip. These included Seth Curry, a 31-year-old sharp shooter whom Joel Embiid really enjoyed playing with. They threw a pair of first-round kicks. Team president Daryl Mori believed Harden was the missing piece, and he hitched a Philadelphia car to him.
And now the front office of 76ers has to decide what to pay him.
When Philadelphia traded for Harden in February, the Sixers were expected to sign Harden with a five-year contract worth $ 250 million north. Mori’s attachment to Harden is well known. He acquired Harden from Oklahoma City in 2012, gave him powers and watched him thrive in the MVP. Morrie routinely called Harden the greatest isolation player in NBA history, and believed that the chance to play with a dominant goal like Embid – the type of player Morrie and Harden talked about but never made it to Houston – would charge him with energy.
Did not happen. Harden averaged 21 points per game in the regular season. His percentage of flights (40.2%) and the percentage of three points (32.6%) were the lowest in his career. His playoff numbers were comparable. For every brilliant game that Harden played (an effort of 22 points and 15 assists in Game 6 against Toronto, an outburst of 31 points in Game 4 against Miami) there were twice as many clumsy. In the last two games, Philly Harden has tried 22 shots, scored 25 points and had almost as many turnovers (eight) as assists (13). As former Sixer Jimmy Butler wore his team – “I still don’t know why we released him,” said the still salty Embid – Harden was little more than a bystander.
Asked to explain his lack of aggression in Game 6, Harden said: “When we were on the attack, the ball just didn’t come back to me.”
It is not that simple. Embid knows it. “Everyone was expecting Houston James Harden,” Embid said. “She is no longer like that. He’s more of a playmaker. ” Harden knows that. The rest of the NBA knows it. “The decline is obvious,” the head of the rival team told SI. “You can see it in his ability to create space, to create the shots he usually creates. It has no explosion. People are not afraid of him to drive and score. They are more likely to challenge this step backwards. He’s just not the same player. “
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He is not, but Harden, who will turn 33 this summer, enters the off-season with leverage. He has until June 29 to choose the final year of his contract, a decision that will guarantee him $ 47.4 million next season. He could bet that a healthy summer and a full training camp with Embid, Tyrese Maxi and Matisse Tiboul would lead to a more productive season. This is a risk – Harden’s hamstring problems have become chronic and he may be injured or his regression may continue – but this is a stick he can use in negotiations.
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Because what will Philadelphia do? Allowing Harden to get involved and fulfill his contract makes some business sense. But Harden effectively gave up two teams when he didn’t like what was happening. Philadelphia, which desperately wants to maximize the seasons at Embiid’s MVP level, does not want to be third.
And what if Harden finds a better deal? He has six weeks to explore the landscape – save me from the outrage of forgery, unless you are among those who think that deals negotiated for one minute in free mediation are negotiated within 60 seconds of opening – and yes see what’s in there. The market will not be stable. But what if Houston, home to Harden’s most successful seasons, seeks a reunion? What if Portland, desperate to add more star power along with Damien Lillard, opened the vault?
Can Philadelphia risk losing Harden for nothing?
For his part, Harden said he intends to be with the Sixers next season. Asked directly if he would choose the last year of his contract, Harden said: “I will be here. Whatever allows this team to grow and improve and do the things it takes to win and compete at the highest level. ” Asked if it would take him less than the maximum to do so, Harden said, “Whatever it takes to help this team grow and put us there with the best of them.”
Morrie bet big on Harden. Now he has to figure out how to get him to work with him. There is an obvious contractual middle ground. Chris Paul’s deal last summer, for example. Paul signed a new four-year deal worth $ 120 million, while giving Phoenix financial flexibility. The Sixers would no doubt want to make a similar deal with Harden. The question is whether Harden will succeed.
“This will determine Daryl,” said the CEO. “The trade did not go the way he had hoped. If he messes this up and James leaves, where does he leave them? If he overpaid him, how would they build a winner? He knew James better than anyone. He knew his way of life, he knew where his body was. There had to be some level of knowledge about where this was going. He loves man. He is loyal to man. I understand this. But you have to separate yourself from that when you make these decisions. “
Significant off-season is ahead. Embid – who struggled with a torn ligament in his thumb, a broken facial bone and a concussion in this series – will require at least one operation. Maybe two. Rivers can be replaced. Tobias Harris can be purchased. “[The front office] he will do whatever it takes to win the championship, “said Embid. “If it means trading with people, signing new people or trading with me, they will do it.”
However, no solution is greater than Harden’s future. The correct result can push Sixers into the title photo. The sinner can ruin them.
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