“We see him with Lil’ Baby, we see him with Meek Mill….do he actually care?” - Kendrick Perkins says James Harden has the opportunity to change the narrative around him
NBA and Philadelphia 76ers superstar James Harden has come under criticism for his performances off late as pressure mounts to bring a championship this season.
Speaking on ESPN's morning show First Take, former NBA player Kendrick Perkins spoke about why he has concerns over Harden, especially in the post-season. Perkins said:
"He always shies away from the moment and to top it off, not only does she shy way from the moment, it's after the game what end up happening. We see him with Lil' Baby, we see him with Meek Mill, so one question is - do he really care? And that's a bad concern to have and that's a bad picture to be painted about yourself."
Harden's past exploits in the post-season have often been brought up when talking about him as one of the best players in the league. During his time with the Houston Rockets, the series against the San Antonio Spurs and the Golden State Warriors has always been part of any conversation regarding Harden.
How important is James Harden to the 76ers?
James Harden has had a terrific start to his career with the Philadelphia 76ers. He has taken to the team like a duck to water. He has seamlessly gelled with the likes of Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey and has put up very good numbers with his new team.
James Harden finished 0-for-10 on 2-pointers against the Nets.
He is the 2nd player this season to go 0-for-10 on 2-pointers in a single game.
The other player is Russell Westbrook (Nov. 6 vs Trail Blazers). https://t.co/PwAWISrIkL
One of the greatest scorers the game has seen, James Harden was an unstoppable machine during his nine seasons with the Houston Rockets. However, he was also a great facilitator, and the Philadelphia 76ers need the perfect combination of both for their championship aspirations.
What makes Harden great is his ability to be a quintessential point guard and also be a scoring machine who can 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 this season. The duo have the potential to be the best one-two punch in the NBA since Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant.
Harden is currently averaging 22.6 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 10.1 assists while shooting the ball better than 41% from the field and over 33% from beyond the arc. He has recorded 10 triple-doubles and 37 double-doubles this season, with most of those coming for the Nets.
Joel Embiid and James Harden are +89 in 295 minutes together.
— 122.5 offensive rating
— 105.7 defensive rating
— 16.9 net rating
— 63.2 TS%
All 4 stats would rank 1st in the NBA. https://t.co/ploD0dUFND
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, while the latter has sustained hamstring issues a couple of times over the last two years or so, with a lot of that having to do with his weight and conditioning.
The 76ers have gambled big time on Harden as they have given away arguably the best defender in the league (Ben Simmons) and a sharpshooter (Seth Curry). While Harden is a liability defensively, he has the offensive prowess to overcome that, and that is what the 76ers are counting on this season.