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James Harden issued a defiant response regarding his performances for the Philadelphia 76ers. Harden's 2021 offseason didn't go as planned. His hamstring injury affected his conditioning and performances for the Brooklyn Nets and the 76ers.
The former NBA MVP maintained assist and rebound averages. Harden averaged 21 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 10.5 assists with the Sixers. However, he was heavily criticized for not being able to replicate his success as a scorer.
"The Beard" recently spoke to Yahoo Sports' Chris Haynes about the criticism and his time in Philadelphia last season. Here's what the 33-year-old said regarding his performances:
“I don’t really listen to what people are saying. I wasn’t right last season and I still almost averaged a triple-double. If anybody else had those numbers, we’d be talking about them getting the max. People were used to seeing me averaging 40, 30 points, and so they viewed it as a down year."
James Harden believes he was learning "on the fly" during his short time in Philadelphia. He remains confident that he can bounce back.
"I was in Philadelphia for a couple of months and I had to learn on the fly," Harden told Yahoo Sports. "That’s just what it was. I’m in a good space physically and mentally right now, and I’m just looking forward to next season."
Philadelphia 76ers need an aggressive James Harden to break their NBA Finals drought
The Philadelphia 76ers haven't reached the NBA Conference Finals since 2001. Last season, they had an opportunity to end that drought. At the trade deadline, the 76ers exchanged Ben Simmons for the Brooklyn Net's James Harden.
The 76ers expected Harden to be the secondary scorer behind Joel Embiid. The 76ers had searched for Simmons' replacement since his poor 2021 postseason. The Sixers' stock as a title favorite shot up following his arrival.
However, Harden failed to deliver in the postseason. Harden produced 18.6 points on 40% shooting. His lack of aggression hurt the team, especially in the second-round loss to the Miami Heat when Joel Embiid missed the first two games with injury.
James Harden finished his underwhelming playoff run with an 11-point outing in their Game 6 elimination. He took only nine attempts from the field.
The Philadelphia 76ers could be one of the most lethal outfits if Harden produces at least 25 points per game.
