James Harden’s time at the Philadelphia 76ers started with a lot of positives but has soon taken the other route as Harden has had multiple poor shooting nights. The Beard has failed to find that free flowing array of buckets in his recent matches and therefore his performances have been far from noteworthy in recent games.
Harden has failed to show up on the big nights as he struggled even with the ball in hand. The Beard has struggled to get past defenders, something he did with ease earlier.
Philadelphia accepted the trade to bring Harden and pair him up with their talisman Joel Embiid but till now Harden is yet to fire all guns blazing since joining the Sixers. apart from her trips to the free throw, everything else has been concerning for him. His conversion rate from the field has also dropped, which is very concerning for the Sixers camp.
In the latest episode of “NBA on ESPN,”,Mike Greenberg shared why he always thought the trade to be a danger for the Sixers. The ESPN presenter revealed how he predicted Harden’s downfall especially with his fitness affecting his gameplay and bringing down the Sixers.
“He quits on Houston. Gets himself what he wants, gets to Brooklyn. Quits on Brooklyn. Gets himself what he wants, goes to Philly. He’s completely out of shape, still. And is going to cost the Sixers whatever it is they might win. And is still going to get a $250 million contract extension from Philly,” Greenberg stated.
Harden missed the match against the Miami Hat when chief coach Doc Rivers shared his issues with her hamstring. It is something that is keeping him from being explosive The Beard has been out of shape for a long time and that has affected his gameplay all season long. His fitness can be detrimental to the Sixers’ surge for the NBA championship.
Greenberg has shared how he always spoke about Harden’s fitness concerns and how his lack of conditioning can be a major concern for his team. “I’ve become very frustrated with the excuse-making around James Harden. Which is to say, I don’t wanna hear about a hamstring injury he had last July. I don’t wanna hear about how he’s logged a lot of minutes. LeBron James has logged more minutes than anyone that ever played the sport,” he added.
Greenberg shared how Harden’s age is not a concern as players of that age are hitting their prime in the NBA. So 32 is not an age that will slow you down rather Greenberg added how Harden is not at the same level as other NBA stars in terms of fitness.
“James Harden, at the age of 32, which in the current NBA is not old at all. In sports today, 32, you’re still very much in your prime. And the reason he doesn’t look like he is anymore, is because he is not in the level of shape that the other NBA stars are in,” Greenberg concluded.
The Sixers recently lost against the Milwaukee Bucks and are currently in third in the Eastern Conference with a record of 46-29. They are just a game ahead of Boston Celtics and are slightly behind the Bucks (2nd) and the leaders Miami Heat at the summit in the East.
