"We’ve never had this; nothing close to this" - Joel Embiid on James Harden's playmaking ability, pleasantly surprised on being 'wide open' at times
Joel Embiid has hailed James Harden for his rousing debut against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday.
The Harden era in Philadelphia kicked off with a massive 31-point win for the 76ers against the hapless Timberwolves. The Beard had a massive impact on the game, thrilling Joel Embiid. Jojo was also ecstatic, as he got a lot of easy buckets, thanks to Harden's playmaking.
Embiid led the scorers with 34 points in the 132-102 win for the 76ers. The big positive on the night was the performance from Harden, though. In his very first 76ers game, the 32-year-old made some big plays, and created open looks for his teammates.
Speaking about Harden's performance, he said:
"You should've seen my face every single time, especially in the fourth, you know the first three quarters obviously making plays for all of us. That was probably the most wide open I have ever been in my career."
The ten-time All-Star dropped 27 points and 12 assists on his 76ers debut. He looked to be in great offensive flow, shooting the ball at 58.3% from the field. However, his scoring didn't come at the cost of his playmaking, which he did commendably as well.
Speaking about that aspect of Harden's outing, Embiid added:
"I had a lot of easy baskets, I used to have to work for everything. But in the fourth quarter, the shot-making ability, the shot creation, you should have seen my face; it was just like, we've never had this, nothing close to this. So hopefully that continues, we didn't even play our best, but I think we can be way better than that."
Joel Embiid on his new tag team partner:
“You should’ve seen my face every single time…that was probably the most wide open I’ve ever been in my career. I used to have to work for everything…never had this, nothing close to it.” https://t.co/IE4QiQSm1Q
James Harden didn't take long to get going on the court. He scored his first bucket just four minutes into the game, and didn't look back from there.
The former MVP and Embiid clicked well on the court in only their first game together, providing fans a glimpse of what could come. When asked in his post-game interview about how the first few minutes went for him, James Harden said:
" Well I know how well Joel is playing right now, so if anything, I want him to make sure he continues that; you know keep going and getting him going as much as possible, because I know once he gets going, it's gonna be easy for everybody else, and then me personally, just let the game come to come; I'm very good at that, and I can be a playmaker; I can be a scorer, just take the shot I needed to."
Harden and Embiid putting in work shortly after combining for 61 points 💪
(via @sixers) https://t.co/I7i0AImibF
Can James Harden and Joel Embiid help the Philadelphia 76ers win the championship?
James Harden is one of the best scorers in the league. He has won nearly all the accolades, but a championship is conspicuous by its absence in his cabinet.
His move to the Philadelphia 76ers was considered to be a great move for the team. That's because they could fill the point guard spot that was vacant since Ben Simmons decided not to play for the team.
"that's good" https://t.co/WhLXHMEHen
Simmons and Joel Embiid were undoubtedly a terrific duo, but the former's lack of confidence in shooting the ball proved to be costly for the team in last season's playoffs. With James Harden, the 76ers have not only got a certified scorer, but they now also have a player who can do it all.
.@JHarden13's signature move. https://t.co/hwwJ7ByJty
During his stint with the Brooklyn Nets, James Harden proved that he could be a terrific playmaker, which makes his move to Philly a big one for the franchise.
In his very first game, it was evident that the team got a lot more open looks, and this could only get better as the season wears on. If Embiid and Harden continue the same performances in the playoffs, the 76ers will fancy their chances of winning the championship.