Already, James Harden Has Been A Passing Fancy With 76ers

In two games with the 76ers, James Harden is shedding the reputation as a guard who dominates the ball, wrote Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

In fact, Harden is averaging 14 assists in his first two games with Philly. He erupted for 29 points and a whopping 16 assists in Sunday’s road win over the Knicks. 

But as Pompey noted, it’s more than just numbers. Harden has gone out of his way to get his new teammates involved in multiple ways. As it stands, Harden is the first player in NBA history to score at least 25 points and pass for at least 12 assists in each of his first two games with a new team.

So far, the Harden-Joel Embiid duo is soaring, and Harden has looked like anything but a guy who is looking to only score.

OK, that’s not bad. pic.twitter.com/yj1tMtFZZM

— Sam Amico (@AmicoHoops) February 27, 2022

“I don’t care what people say,” Harden told reporters, via Pompey. “Honestly, I really don’t care at all what people say. I know how skilled and the work I put in to be one of the best basketball players. Nothing was given to me. I wasn’t one of the best basketball players growing up. I had to work every single day to be in the position I am today.

“So there’s nothing that nobody can tell me about my game. I put the work in. I go out there and produce. I try to be the best teammate I can be every single night.”

Harden also went for 10 rebounds and five steals. Most players would kill for any of the four stats he put up, especially in a mostly dominant win.

That’s especially the case when they have Embiid manning the middle as a teammate.

“We are very comfortable,” Harden said. “He likes to pop. He likes to roll and mix it in a little bit. So we need to keep the communication going and things will be great. I know a couple of plays, I’m just out there winging it honestly. Just trying to make the best decision in terms of playmaking ability.”