"And we replaced that hole with James Harden” - Joel Embiid claims he was unaware of the James Harden trade until it happened
Joel Embiid has revealed that he was unaware of the Philadelphia 76ers signing James Harden. The Sixers' decision to be patient while looking to trade Ben Simmons paid off when they managed to add Harden at this year's deadline. The "Beard" has gotten off to a decent start in this new chapter of his career and hasn't taken too long to develop chemistry with All-Star teammate Embiid.
The fact that Joel Embiid wasn't even aware of the Philadelphia 76ers' plan to add Harden makes their budding partnership even more remarkable. Here's what the Cameroonian big revealed regarding how things went down with the Harden trade in an interview with The Athletic's Sam Amick.
“Honestly, I didn’t know anything was going to happen, really, until it happened. I don’t really like to get in those conversations, because I don’t want to be responsible for, you know, choosing guys and not succeeding. … (But) when it did happen, ultimately, I was like, ‘You know what? That’s James Harden. We know what he’s done in the past."
Embiid continued:
"We obviously played against each other, and I always tried to talk trash to him during games when we played against each other. But I didn’t really know him. But from the time that we got him, I can see the excitement. I was just happy, because we had a big hole. And we replaced that hole with James Harden.”
The 76ers were in deep trouble, with Joel Embiid having no other All-Star caliber player alongside him to start the season. Ben Simmons and the organization's fallout led to him not suiting up for the team even once, and the Sixers desperately needed to sign someone that would've taken the pressure off Embiid to lead them to a respectable position in the standings.
How did Daryl Morey gain Joel Embiid’s trust?
Embiid reflects on his first conversation with Morey.
“The thing that I liked was that it wasn’t about basketball. It was about life."
Exclusive with @sam_amick: theathletic.com/3213386/?sourc… https://t.co/EzrfTF02Y8
They continued to monitor long-term target Harden's situation with the struggling Brooklyn Nets and struck a deal that saw Simmons, Andre Drummond and Seth Curry go the other way, along with multiple first-round picks.
How far can Joel Embiid and James Harden lead the Philadelphia 76ers?
The Philadelphia 76ers have a 9-4 record with James Harden in the lineup. Most of their wins have been lopsided, so they can be an unstoppable unit if they execute their plans to perfection. Harden's inclusion in the lineup has also helped the likes of Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey improve their production even more.
Can the Sixers win it all this year?
"We have a chance. But we’ve all got to play at the highest level possible.”
Joel Embiid explains why they’ve “got work to do.”
Exclusive with @sam_amick: theathletic.com/3213386/?sourc… https://t.co/bxetNW0hFi
So it's safe to say that Philadelphia is far from having any chemistry issues between their top three performers. That will be key to their hopes of doing well in the postseason. The 76ers are aiming to win the championship right now, and they do have the talent to achieve that feat with the roster they have at their disposal.
James Harden and Joel Embiid may not have had much success in the playoffs, but if they can continue to develop their partnership and replicate their regular-season performances, their chances of making the NBA Finals look bright.