“Gave him the ball every single possession”: Joel Embiid's 6-word response to James Harden after his claims of feeling tied down at 76ers

The Joel Embiid era with James Harden didn’t last for long. They didn’t even play for two full seasons after Harden was traded to the LA Clippers. Embiid and Harden’s best results were leading the 76ers to the playoffs in each of their two seasons together. However, they couldn’t get past the semifinals, losing to the Miami Heat in 2022 and the Boston Celtics in 2023.

In Harden’s first press conference with the 76ers, he immediately took a shot at his former team. He told the media that he had “a leash” in the way he was asked to play.

Embiid, when asked to comment about his former teammate’s statements, had this to say (via Kyle Neubeck):

“We allowed him to just be himself, and we gave him the ball on every single possession. Because he’s really good. He’s an amazing player. I’m not that great of a passer, [so] we gave him the ball.”

The reigning MVP, although he was diplomatic with his reply, is shutting down James Harden’s assertion. Harden had his first and only full season with the 76ers during the 2022-23 campaign. He ranked first in minutes per game (36.8 MPG) and second in usage percentage (25.0%). Former coach Doc Rivers wanted him to be a facilitator but asked him to be aggressive as well.

The Philadelphia 76ers asked Harden to play the same role he executed while he was still with the Brooklyn Nets. Perhaps, the three-time scoring champion wanted to go back to his Houston Rockets days when he had the go-signal to do as he pleased.

James Harden’s role started to diminish once he left Houston. In Brooklyn, he acted as the team’s top playmaker with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving surrounding him. Rivers asked more of the same once the 76ers acquired him but wanted him to be more aggressive.

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James Harden is blaming everyone but himself for his on-court failures

James Harden has a long history of disappearing in the playoffs. He did that again in the series against the Boston Celtics last season, particularly in Games 6 and 7. During the said games, he combined for 29 points on 7-27 shooting, including 1-11 from behind the arc.

The big moments made Harden shrink. Commentators who were calling the game couldn’t believe how passive the 10x All-Star was. On several occasions, he wouldn’t even bother to look at the rim. Defenders stopped collapsing the paint when he drove, as they knew beforehand he wouldn’t even attempt a shot.

Harden has also lost some of his explosiveness. He can no longer blow by defenders with his speed like he did when he was in Houston. The former MVP had to rely on his shiftiness and strength to get open or to create separation. More often than not, defenders were more effective in containing him.

Maybe the Philadelphia 76ers front office did him wrong. But, James Harden’s on-court failures were largely due to himself.