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Upon pairing James Harden and Joel Embiid, many expected the Philadelphia 76ers to make a deep postseason run in 2022. In what's been a common theme so far in Embiid's career, the 76ers were unable to advance past the second round of the playoffs.
Former NBA player Matt Barnes shares why he believes Harden is the key to both the 76ers' title chances and Embiid's MVP hopes.
Speaking on 'NBA Today', Barnes reacted to a clip of Philadelphia 76ers head coach Doc Rivers speaking to Harden:
"We're talking about Joel Embiid's chances to win MVP, but I really think James Harden is going to be on a mission this year. He heard a lot of noise as well, as far as moving from Brooklyn to the 76ers.
"I really feel like he is going to be the key to that teams success. They went out and got toughness. They went out and got shooting, which they've lacked in the past."
Barnes continued by saying:
"Joel Embiid has been great for the last handful of years. He's been healthy. So I think James Harden has something to prove to himself and the rest of the world."
"James Harden was the baddest man on the planet for a little while so I think James Harden's resurgence this year is really gonna help Embiid's chances of winning MVP and that team's chance to win a championship."
Getting Harden to play like he did with the Houston Rockets will go a long way for the 76ers this season. While he is unlikely to put up the same numbers as he did in Houston, the 76ers still need him to be the same type of threat on offense.
Watch Matt Barnes' comments on the Philadelphia 76ers below (starting at the 5:21 mark):
Can James Harden and Joel Embiid lead the Philadelphia 76ers to a championship?
Although the 76ers were bounced in the second round of the 2022 playoffs, they were without Joel Embiid for two games. It's impossible to know whether Embiid's presence would have changed the outcome of the series. The reality is that the 76ers have not make a deep playoff run since drafting Embiid back in 2014.
With James Harden now in the fold for his first full season with the organization, they are well positioned to get over the hump.
The Philadelphia 76ers were able to add to their depth because of Harden's willingness to take a pay cut. The 76ers brought in P.J. Tucker, Montrezl Harrell, and Danuel House, all of whom played with Harden in Houston. With the depth behind their two stars, the 76ers will remain in title contention if they stay healthy.
They kick off their 2022-23 season against the Boston Celtics on October 18.
