“Tell me a James Harden team that’s ever had chemistry, he’s his own guy” - Colin Cowherd believes the Philadelphia 76ers and Daryl Morey should move former MVP this summer
James Harden is experiencing a rough patch in the NBA playoffs, not delivering at the level that the Philadelphia 76ers expected.
There is a stage where he declines after having an incredibly hot start with a new team, and Philly fans are worried that's starting to happen. His first five games with the team were outstanding, but his production gradually started to dip.
As the offseason approaches, the big question is whether the Sixers should offer the three-time scoring champ a contract extension. Colin Cowherd, the founder of The Volume Sports, thinks that the Sixers should not.
On "The Herd with Colin Cowherd," the media personality said:
"James Harden is now a three."
Cowherd talked about the trade that brought Harden to the Sixers in February. He maintains that the Sixers won the trade but believes they should move on from Harden.
"Daryl Morey loves Harden, and Daryl Morey brought him over, and he gave up a lot. So, my guess is, they'll pay him. I don't think it's the answer. I'll move off Harden."
"Tell me a James Harden that's ever had great chemistry. He's his own guy."
@ColinCowherd lists 3 reasons the Sixers should let Harden walk this summer: https://t.co/67DL5Cf9xF
Harden is due for a four-year, $230 million contract extension, but Cowherd does not think the Sixers should pay him. He went on to list three reasons why the Sixers should let Harden go this offseason.
At the top of the list was that the Sixers had nothing to lose, especially since the pieces they used in the trade would not exactly hurt them.
Cowherd also complimented the team's constructing, saying it has players who play their roles to perfection. Moving on from that was the issue of chemistry.
"Tell me a James Harden team that's ever had great chemistry?" Cowherd said. "He's his own guy. ... It's hard to build great chemistry when James Harden is your, like, second guy."
After drawing parallels with some of the teams left in the playoffs, he boldly dubbed Tyrese Maxey as the second-best player on the Sixers' roster.
Do the Philadelphia 76ers stand a chance against the Miami Heat with James Harden leading?
The Sixers lost Joel Embiid in the series-clinching win against the Toronto Raptors in the first round. He took a hit to the face from Pascal Siakam and was diagnosed with a right orbital fracture.
With Embiid unavailable, the team has looked to their second superstar, James Harden, for production, but he has struggled. He is known to get cold in the playoffs, but they need him now more than ever to stay alive in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
76ers All-NBA star Joel Embiid has cleared concussion protocols. Dealing with orbital fracture and a torn ligament in thumb, Embiid is doing everything possible to be available to play in Game 3 tonight vs. Miami.
The Miami Heat are already up 2-0 in the series and will have an opportunity to extend their win on Friday night. Even though Embiid has reportedly cleared concussion protocols, he is still listed as "doubtful" on the injury report.
With the Sixers at risk of going 3-0 down, the onus to get them back in the series is on Harden, who was brought in specifically for times like these.