Original title: McGrady commented on Harden: 76ers trade was terrible, he averaged 18 points without free throws
After the All-Star Game, Harden, who was recovering from injury, played for the 76ers. He and Embiid had a sweet honeymoon period. Some people even called the Philadelphia pair with the resounding name of “New Era OK Group”. Inside and outside partner. However, after just three months, the mirage was crushed by the reality of being eliminated in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Harden’s performance in the life and death battle in the past playoffs has been disappointing. But for those who know Harden, all this seems no longer surprising.
Looking back on the Harden-Simmons deal now, at least for the moment, neither side dares to say that it is an absolute winner. Recently, the Rockets star McGrady also accepted an interview with a podcast show, he said that the 76ers’ trade decision to get Harden was quite bad. “Actually, I think it was a bad trade, and I think the Nets won that trade. Embiid was good before that and the Sixers were in good shape. Harden was A great scorer and a playmaker. But in my opinion, he’s slowed down a bit, he can’t get rid of defenders. I don’t know why, I don’t know if he’s injured. In my opinion It looks like he’s not the Harden he used to be,” McGrady said.
“The Sixers had great chemistry before that trade. Embiid Athletics was in great shape and he had a great pitcher like Curry next to him. I think the part they were missing was Harris. If you give him over $100 million A dollar contract, that guy has to improve himself. Then why are we bringing in a player like Harden, we gave you $100 million. You are a max player, help us play that role. Our The big guy has been doing his job.”
After opening the chat, McGrady continued to fire at Harden, saying that even at Harden’s peak, efficient scoring came from the addition of rules.
“The rules help Harden be that Harden because you can’t interfere with his 3-point shot or it’s a foul. In my day, that wasn’t a foul. You think about it, dribble, dribble, dribble. The ball, then the step back three, do you think a smart defender can’t guard this? I’m just saying a lot of his points come from free throws, let’s just say, if he didn’t get those whistles, he probably averaged Got 18 points,” McGrady said.
As the absolute playmaker of the 76ers’ backcourt, Harden’s aggressiveness in Game 6 of the series may not even have been as good as last year’s Simmons. In the whole game, he only completed 9 shots and scored 11 points. In the last two quarters of 22 minutes of playing time, Harden only completed 2 sports shots, all from beyond the three-point line, and all of them were made of iron.
On ESPN’s show, prominent American basketball commentator Stephen A. Smith talked about Harden. “In Game 6, Harden played so badly, so badly, it almost seemed like it was intentional, let’s stop and think about it, Harden has averaged 30 points per game for three consecutive seasons in the past. Averaged at least 29 points per game in five seasons, maybe eight or nine years in a row, at least 27 points per game, how can you go from a player of this level to suddenly become a player who only takes two shots in the second half? We’re not talking about the number of shots, we’re just talking about the number of shots,” Smith said.
“What’s the greatest scorer in NBA history who couldn’t make two shots in the second half of a playoff game? There’s absolutely no way you could do that. What happened? I’ll tell you, because after the game, when the When talking about Rivers, Harden said he didn’t have any comments. He didn’t think he wanted Rivers to continue to be the head coach of the 76ers. I think Harden has heard rumors in the past that the 76ers may pursue Dantney. , he’s looking forward to that possibility.” Smith believes that Harden is playing Rivers on purpose.
Indeed, although the Rockets during Harden’s era failed to make a breakthrough in the playoffs, it is undeniable that Danteney’s system has allowed Harden to successfully complete the transformation to a point guard and become a superstar who can dominate the league. Dual energy, the relationship between the two must be quite close. But the reality is that while Harden is eager for Dante to take over as the 76ers’ head coach, it may be difficult to convince the team to cut Rivers based on his individual performance this season.
According to previous US media reports, Rivers still has a long-term contract in hand and will not be fired by the 76ers. A 76ers executive revealed in an interview with the media that Rivers will continue to coach the 76ers next season. “I don’t worry about my job, I think I’m doing a great job. I did my best to bring the team here, and when I came to Philly on day one, no one thought we were going to get here, and it’s the same this year. Going for a championship is the best part of this job, I know what it’s like, our goals have never changed, I want to feel it again, nothing has changed, no one can guarantee that you will be the first to come to the team. Win one year, or win the next.” Rivers said: “Our fans are hungry for championships, they are as hungry as me, as much as our players, the pursuit of perfection, I know that feeling.”
Unlike last year’s playoffs, Rivers said in an interview after the team was out that the 76ers’ loss to the Heat was not a problem for Harden alone, but entering the offseason this year, Philadelphia must adjust and adjust the lineup. improve. “We have to improve the lineup, we have to improve the lineup, we have to improve the lineup.” The same sentence, Rivers emphasized three times.
When it comes to roster construction in the offseason, the first thing the 76ers need to make clear is whether they want to keep Harden at max salary. According to previous U.S. media reports, Harden had promised to renew his contract when he was traded to the 76ers. But from now on, it’s the 76ers management that needs to be thoughtful. Obviously, judging by his performance this season, Harden is unlikely to get a max contract.
“No one in the league believes that the 76ers will give Harden a max salary early contract extension. The question now is what choice Harden will make himself. He is going to execute his $47.36 million player option and play another year. , will see later. Or will he follow Paul’s four-year, $120 million contract with the Suns last year? If he follows Paul’s lead, the team can free up cap space and maintain its strength in the championship for a longer time. . As far as I know, the 76ers management will make moves this summer, and they will definitely adjust the lineup.” ESPN reporter Wen Horst said in a previous interview.
However, for now, it is the long-cherished wish of both parties to continue the cooperation. “I’m in a very good situation here, and next year we’re going to fight for the championship. I’m going to do everything I can to fight for the championship,” Harden said. Another 76ers executive said the team’s plan is to re-sign Harden and find a way to integrate him into the system. For the 76ers, the starting point of their consideration should not be on Harden. When faced with decision-making struggles, thinking about Embiid who is playing MVP-caliber performance and thinking about how to capture his prime may help management make better decisions. This is Philadelphia in 2022, not Houston in 2017. (Sports Weekly)Return to Sohu, see more
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