"James Harden couldn’t fit with CP3, then he couldn’t fit with Russ, now he can’t fit with KD and/or Kyrie" - Skip Bayless questions James Harden’s fit with Joel Embiid, believes he can "fit with nobody"
James Harden has praised Daryl Morey for offloading simmons" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-is-sponsored="false">Ben Simmons and bolstering his roster to championship contention. Morey, the Philadelphia 76ers' president of basketball operations, swapped Simmons for Harden on Thursday.
But on “Skip and Shannon: Undisputed” on Tuesday, analyst Skip Bayless said otherwise, criticizing Harden for quitting on two teams.
Harden signed with the Brooklyn Nets early last season with hopes of winning his first title alongside Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. Before that move, he teamed up with Chris Paul for the 2018-19 season and Russell Westbrook for the 2019-20 season, both with the Houston Rockets.
"In back-to-back years, we saw James Harden quit on 2 teams. It looks like Harden fits with nobody. He couldn't fit with CP3, Russ or KD & Kyrie. And he's gonna fit with Embiid?" — @RealSkipBayless https://t.co/5l29HhvwPt
As Bayless discussed the swap, he called Harden a quitter by saying:
“In back-to-back years, we saw James Harden quit on two teams. Quit his way out of Houston and quit his way out of Brooklyn.
“It looks like James Harden fits with nobody. James Harden couldn’t fit with CP3, then he couldn’t fit with Russ, now he can’t fit with KD and/or Kyrie. Are you kidding? He’s gonna fit with (Joel) Embiid?”
"Do you see [a championship] being possible..."
"Hell yea." https://t.co/sLZ9gYCJVI
In the trade with Brooklyn, Philadelphia gave away Simmons, Seth Curry, Andre Drummond and two first-round picks in exchange for Harden and Paul Millsap. Although Simmons had proved to be a problem for the 76ers, Bayless feels the Nets won the trade, saying:
“So, let’s see – accolades-wise rookie of the year, three straight All-Star teams and two straight first-team all defense – you’re kidding me. And you stole that guy from Philly. Wait a second, you stole two more starters from Philly.”
Is James Harden past his prime?
Despite Bayless’ concerns, one person will be elated to have James Harden at Philadelphia – and that’s president of basketball operations Daryl Morey. The two of them have a history that goes back to when Morey was the general manager of the Houston Rockets. With the Rockets, Harden made it as far as the conference finals twice but never to the NBA Finals.
Analyst Skip Bayless thinks Morey is still holding onto his perception of Harden from back then, saying the All-Star guard is older and has constant hamstring issues:
“You got Daryl Morey, who is just obsessed with what James Harden used to be. So, all of a sudden that is a huge mistake, 'cause he’s 32 going on 42, and you know it and I know it. So, he walks in the door and he’s got a hamstring pull. And you know what, the way he begins in Philly is the way he’ll soon exit Philly – injured.”
Whether obsessed or not, Harden is now on the Philadelphia roster and has yet to play in a game since his arrival. The 76ers will probably have Harden available only after the All-Star break, as he is managing hamstring issues – which he has faced in the past as well.
James Harden daps up @dmorey in Philly 👀 https://t.co/qc0SaXYDHD
Although the Brooklyn roster looks like it will get better for the long run, the 76ers will look to capitalize this season. Considering the players they gave up to land Harden, their goals of "championship now" are pretty clear. Right now, the only question that remains is how far they will go.