"He did play with Chris Paul, Westbrook, Kevin Durant, Dwight Howard, Kyrie Irving" - Paul Pierce calls out James Harden for lack of championships despite playing with elite talent
James Harden is one of the top players in terms of creating a shot, and has capitalized on that strength to become a prolific scorer. Despite his scoring ability and having teamed up with multiple talented players, Harden has not been able to win a championship.
James Harden’s addition to Doc Rivers’ roster has boosted the Philadelphia 76ers’ chances, with Joel Embiid benefitting from his presence so far. On the latest episode of “No Chill with Gilbert Arenas,” NBA champion Paul Pierce gave his two cents on Harden teaming up with his former coach by saying:
“I grew with Doc. You know, see that was the thing. But the thing about James, I truly think he respects Doc. I don’t think he respects Steve Nash.”
Barring a recent loss against the Brooklyn Nets, Harden has helped the 76ers offensively, contributing to six wins in their last eight games. The 76ers (41-25) are second in the East, just 2.5 games behind the league leaders – the Miami Heat (45-24). There are a lot of green flags lining up for the franchise, with the playoffs almost around the corner.
Kevin Durant suggests there's not much the Nets could have said to keep James Harden in Brooklyn: "You can try to look at it from his perspective: Kai's not playing, and I'm injured. He hasn't won a championship before."
However, Paul Pierce brought up James Harden’s previous outcomes in similar situations by saying:
“When I look at that, Embiid right now is the best being in the game, but I’m like, ‘If I had a chance to play with the talent Harden played with, I’d probably be walking out of here with five championships.’
“I mean, he did play with Chris Paul, Westbrook, Kevin Durant, Dwight Howard, Kyrie Irving and now you’re playing with Joel. Like, you played with all Hall of Famers, and that ain’t worked yet.”
Philadelphia’s road ahead after James Harden’s addition
James Harden is in his 13th season in the league, trying to win his first title with the Philadelphia 76ers. Harden’s push to join the 76ers was an indication of his desire to win a championship this year. But he’s on a short two-year contract with an option to extend, placing the ball in his court if they fall short of victory.
Harden likes to play in a system where he dictates the offense, having the majority of the team’s possession. Although sharing the possession hasn’t been that much of an issue since his arrival, as the season progresses, that’s something Doc Rivers will have to figure out.
SIXERS WIN!! https://t.co/WKdx1iyAIV
While Gilbert Arenas discussed Harden’s limitations offensively, Paul Pierce pointed out another concern for the franchise:
“Well, it’s going to be brand new at first. So, they’re gonna have their first run – they win it, everything’s great. Say they lose, they’re gonna come back and be like, ‘Alright, this is going to be the adjustment this year.’ If that shit don’t start working the following year, you can see James going probably somewhere else.”
The nature of the trade that brought Harden to the 76ers is bound to draw some scrutiny. Harden has managed to be effective since his arrival, inspiring Tyrese Maxey and Tobias Harris to elevate their contributions as well. The 76ers need to cancel out the noise and trust their plan to take its expected shape and eventually the outcome.