NBA insider reveals that a potential playoff series against Toronto Raptors concerned James Harden about Kyrie Irving’s availability
Several reports have suggested that James Harden had a fallout with his former Brooklyn Nets co-stars, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, leading to his eventual departure.
According to SNY TV's Ian Begley, Harden was concerned about Irving's availability in the playoffs, especially if the Nets were to go head-to-head with the Toronto Raptors in the postseason.
Here's what Begley reported regarding this matter (via The Score):
"A potential postseason series vs. the Raptors was one of the reasons James Harden was concerned about Kyrie Irving's vaccine status."
Like New York, Toronto doesn't permit unvaccinated players to play in the city. Irving has continued to be firm with his anti-vaccination stance. This impacted Harden's decision to leave Brooklyn and join forces with conference rivals, the Philadelphia 76ers.
Since joining the franchise, Harden has averaged 26.7 points and 12 assists per game with a 59/50/0 shooting split. The Sixers have won all of their first four games with the former league MVP in the lineup.
James Harden was reportedly concerned about facing Toronto in the postseason, as Kyrie Irving wouldn't be eligible to play in either city. 😳 https://t.co/h8dMw5CVJe
James Harden and the Sixers to round off their challenging schedule against Kyrie Irving and the Nets on Thursday
James Harden and the Philadelphia 76ers will welcome the Brooklyn Nets to the Wells Fargo Center on Thursday, March 10th. It will be Harden's first game against his former team. The Sixers are in the middle of a tough stretch schedule-wise as they will be facing the Miami Heat, Chicago Bulls and the Nets next week.
So far, the Cleveland Cavaliers are the only in-form side that Doc Rivers' men have faced since acquiring Harden. In that period, the Philadelphia 76ers have dominated their opponents thoroughly, as Harden has gelled well with his new teammates, Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey.
Point totals in first 3 Games together:
Joel Embiid: 34, 37, 27
James Harden: 27, 29, 26
Tyrese Maxey: 28, 21, 25
They are the first trio of teammates to each score 20+ points in their first 3 games together in NBA history
(H/T @EliasSports) https://t.co/7jk0QjGH1n
The three players have averaged over 25 points per game over the last four matches and will be key to the Sixers' hopes of winning the title. It will be interesting to see how they fare against the Heat, Bulls and Nets over the next week as they could also be facing these teams in the postseason.
These teams will also be more challenging to take on, so the new-look Philadelphia 76ers, featuring Harden, will get the opportunity to evaluate themselves better moving forward.