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The Philadelphia 76ers will face off against the Toronto Raptors in the first round of the playoffs, and there will be a lot of pressure on James Harden. Fox Sports Skip Bayless, co-host of UNDISPUTED, went to continue that point.
Harden has yet to win an NBA championship in his 12 seasons in the NBA. He has also been labeled as a player who does not rise to the occasion while in the playoffs, and his game is usually a big reason his teams don’t succeed. Bayless said:
“The world is watching. The pressure is mounting by the moment as we approach game one. I just don't think he feels it, which is my issue with him. I don't know ever since any drive to dominate or to have supreme success or to go win multiple championships."
"I just don't it he's obviously supremely gifted on the perimeter. I'm not sure I've ever seen anything quite like his ability to dance to step back in the slither he has through the lane.”
This season, Harden’s drive to win has been questioned even more. After being traded to the Brooklyn Nets earlier in last season, Harden was again traded this season before the trade deadline to the 76ers. Harden seemed to force himself out of Brooklyn, showing up to training camp out of shape and not playing with as much passion.
The Nets team was built to win a championship this season with Harden, arguably the best player in the NBA, Kevin Durant, and an All-Star in Kyrie Irving. Harden wanted to be traded to the 76ers to be reunited with former Houston Rockets general manager and president of basketball operations Daryl Morey.
He also teamed up with possible MVP Joel Embiid, but the questions still surround the 76ers as the playoffs start and if they can genuinely win an NBA Championship.
What does James Harden need to do to win an NBA Finals with the 76ers this year?
Historically, James Harden has slumped when the playoffs started. While with the Houston Rockets, whenever the playoffs started, Harden became inefficient, shooting well below his season average.
One of the reasons for Harden slumping in the playoffs would be his workload during the regular season. The offense ran through Harden, so after over 70 games of that, he ran out of steam.
On top of that, in the playoffs, the referees did not call the game the same way, allowing more contact to happen. Harden did a lot of his scoring from the free-throw line, helping him get in a rhythm, and taking that away led him to struggle.
The questions surrounding the 76ers have been, can Harden step up to the moment, despite him slumping for the last month of the season, which might be due to injury. On top of that, Joel Embiid also has the narrative of playing poorly in the playoffs, but a lot of that has to do with health.
If the 76ers want to win the NBA Finals this year, James Harden will need to play the best that he can and be healthy. Embiid cannot be asked to carry the team like he has at a time without Harden and is expected to make a deep playoff run.
