NBA Rumors: James Harden a 'driving force' behind Doc Rivers' ousting
James Harden's name has become involved with ongoing speculation as one of the main reasons for the firing of former 76ers coach Doc Rivers.
According to Yahoo Sports' Jake Fischer, James Harden was a "driving force" behind the dismissal of Doc Rivers after three seasons coaching the team.
James Harden was acquired in 2022 in a trade involving Ben Simmons being moved to the Brooklyn Nets. At the time, the move was seen as an upgrade for the 76ers as Harden is a capable scorer and playmaker that the team needed. However, following the acquisition, the 76ers still struggled in getting past the second round in the playoffs.
Harden was envisioned to be a dynamic one-two punch with Joel Embiid, but both ended up disappointing in an elimination game against the Celtics. The two NBA All-Stars combined for only 24 points on 8-of-29 shooting, including 1-of-9 from 3-point range.
Following the 112-88 Game 7 loss, James Harden spoke to the media as he was asked regarding his relationship with Doc Rivers.
"Our relationship is okay," Harden said.
Harden didn't add any further comments regarding his relationship with former coach Rivers.
Stephen A. Smith blames James Harden's poor level-of-play for the firing of Doc Rivers
During the regular season, Harden averaged 21.0 points (44.1% shooting, including 38.5% from 3-point range), 10.7 assists and 6.1 rebounds.
However, his production took a dive for the worse in the 76ers' postseason run.
In the Conference quarterfinals round against the Nets, he only averaged 17.3 ppg (34.3% shooting, including 42.4% from 3-point range), 8.8 apg and 5.5 rpg.
Meanwhile, during the semifinals against the Celtics, he averaged 22.0 ppg (42.4% shooting, including 34.7% from 3-point range), 8.0 apg and 6.6 rpg.
His inconsistency in the playoffs was heavily criticized by the media, especially his lowly outing in Game 7 against Boston. Stephen A. Smith spoke on ESPN's "First Take" and pointed at Harden as the reason why Doc Rivers was fired.
"I don't think it was the right decision," Smith said, "because I don't think James Harden is the right player for that franchise to be quite honest with you. I think that he's lost a step, he's not what he used to be. He led the league in assists. He's still an All-Star caliber player, but in big games, he comes up very very small on far too many occasions."
The 76ers now has to address concerns regarding the head coach position and Harden's long term future with the team.