“The expectation level right now in Philadelphia is through the roof” - Chris ‘Mad Dog’ Russo says James Harden has to take the Philadelphia 76ers to a championship

NBA and Philadelphia 76ers superstar James Harden has had a terrific start to life with the 76ers. Since the trade, many expect him to challenge for the championship this season alongside Joel Embiid.

Appearing on ESPN's morning show, First Take, radio personality Chris Russo spoke about the 76ers' expectations. He said their aim is to win a championship and Harden has to deliver a ring this season. Russo said:

"He's got to take them to a championship. The expectation level right now in Philadelphia is through the roof. You can't sit here and not get to a final."

James Harden moved to the 76ers in an unceremonious fashion from the Brooklyn Nets. The two franchises engaged in a trade that saw Ben Simmons and Harden swap sides. The Nets have also landed Seth Curry and Andre Drummond, while the 76ers managed to get Paul Millsap as part of the trade.

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How important is James Harden to the 76ers?

Embiid high fives teammate Harden

James Harden has had a terrific start to his career with the Philadelphia 76ers as he has taken to the team like a duck to water. He has seamlessly gelled with the likes of Embiid and Tyrese Maxey and has put up very good numbers with his new team.

One of the greatest scorers the game has seen, James Harden was an unstoppable machine during his nine seasons with the Houston Rockets. However, he was also a great facilitator, and the Philadelphia 76ers need the perfect combination of both for their championship aspirations.

What makes Harden great is his ability to be a quintessential point guard and also be a scoring machine who can excel in one-on-one situations. He has run the pick and roll with Joel Embiid incredibly well and that will be the biggest offensive weapon for the 76ers this season. The duo have the potential to be the best one-two punch in the NBA since Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant.

Harden is currently averaging 22.7 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 10.4 assists while shooting the ball better than 42% from the field and over 34% from beyond the arc. He has recorded 10 triple-doubles and 33 double-doubles this season, with most of those coming for the Nets.

The only question mark for the 76ers is the health of their superstars Embiid and Harden. The former has a history of being injury prone, while the latter has sustained hamstring issues a couple of times over the last two years or so, with a lot of that having to do with his weight and conditioning.

The 76ers have gambled big time on Harden as they have given away arguably the best defender in the league (Ben Simmons) and a sharpshooter (Seth Curry). While Harden is a liability defensively, he has the offensive prowess to overcome that, and that is what the 76ers are counting on this season.