“He gonna want his lick back, he gonna come with a revenge summer” - Patrick Beverley says he’s excited to watch former All-NBA player next season
Philadelphia 76ers star James Harden has been touted to return next season and play at his best by his former teammate and current Minnesota Timberwolves player Patrick Beverley.
Appearing on ESPN's morning show "Get Up," Patrick Beverley spoke about how Harden is going to put in the work this summer and come back in tip-top shape with a point to prove to his naysayers. Patrick Beverley said:
"At the end of the day, James going to be James. He hears the stuff that people say, he's going to take care of his body, he understands that when you're playing in Brooklyn with KD, you don't have to have all that firepower.
"So, maybe he didn't work as hard in the summer, but trust me, he's going to want his lick back and he's going to come with a revenge summer and I'm excited to see him play."
James Harden came under immense scrutiny for his performances in the series against the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference semifinals. They were eliminated in six games by Jimmy Butler and company.
Is Patrick Beverley right about James Harden?
James Harden had a terrific start to his career with the Philadelphia 76ers. He had taken to the team like a duck to water. He seamlessly gelled with the likes of Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey and put up very good numbers.
But his form has dipped over the last couple of weeks of the regular season and it did not see an up-tick in the postseason.
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.
James Harden attempted just 2 shots in the 2nd half, missing both, as the 76ers are knocked out of the playoffs.
Harden's last made bucket was at the 3:31 mark of the 2nd quarter. https://t.co/bYRUGIUOfl
What makes Harden great is his ability to be the quintessential point guard and also 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.
However, James Harden has lost that first step in the quest to get past defenders when driving to the rim with hamstring injuries that have resulted in him losing his explosiveness.
The 76ers shot 0-10 from 3-pt off James Harden's passes.
That was tied for the worst 3-pt shooting off a player's passes in the last 8 playoffs.
The Celtics shot 0-10 on threes off Isaiah Thomas' passes in 2016. https://t.co/eEs0gPx2u6
His performance fell off drastically right at the most crucial stage of the season. They survived a late reprieve by the Toronto Raptors in the first round, but were eliminated by the Heat in the second round.
However, what Patrick Beverley said isn't unsubstantiated at all. Harden will be seeking a new contract either in the summer or at the end of next season and will want to prove his naysayers wrong.