“This is the championship version of James Harden that we need to see” - Jay Williams praises James Harden’s performances in the first 2 games vs the Raptors
Former NBA player Jay Williams spoke on ESPN's morning show "Get Up" about James Harden's excellent showing so far against the Toronto Raptors. Williams believes Harden will need to continue to play at this level for the Philadelphia 76ers to have a chance at a title.
Williams said:
"This is the championship version of James Harden that we need to see. ... being a pass-first, playing through Joel Embiid, playing through Tyrese Maxey and Tobias Harris in transition.
"That is the right version of James Harden that can win a championship, not the one you remember three years ago."
The 76ers and Harden entered the postseason with high expectations, but have answered the call thus far. Harden dropped 22 points and dished out 14 assists in Game 1 and recorded 6 assists in Game 2 as Philly raced to a 2-0 lead.
How important is James Harden to the Philadelphia 76ers?
Harden had a terrific start to his career with the Philadelphia 76ers. He seamlessly gelled with the likes of Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey and has put up very solid numbers.
However, his form has dipped over the last couple of weeks. In a 15 game stretch, he averaged less than 21.0 points per game and shot less than 29% from the perimeter and 38% from the field.
One of the greatest scorers the game has seen, James Harden was an unstoppable machine during his nine seasons with the Houston Rockets. He was also a great facilitator, and Harden will need to do both for the 76ers to have a shot at a ring.
What makes Harden great is his ability to be a quintessential point guard who can also 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.
The only question mark for the 76ers is the health of their superstars Embiid and Harden. The former has a history of being injury prone. The latter has dealt with hamstring issues over the last two years along with concerns about his weight and conditioning.
The 76ers have gambled big time on Harden after trading away arguably the best defender in the league (Ben Simmons) and a sharpshooter (Seth Curry).
While Harden struggles at times defensively, he has the offensive prowess to outweigh those issues.