“You get the boy what he’s asking for” - Patrick Beverley believes the Philadelphia 76ers and James Harden have to see it through, says there’s nobody in the league that can do what Harden does
It has been a tough season for James Harden and a tougher postseason for the Philadelphia 76ers point guard. With the 76ers knocked out of the second-round series by the Miami Heat, their playoff appearance comes to an end with an Eastern Conference Semifinals exit.
He recorded a career-low 18.1 points per game in the playoffs. This is the lowest ppg since his 2012 playoffs with the Oklahoma City Thunder. His playoff-best of 31 points came in Game 4 of the second-round series against the Miami Heat. His low of 11 points came in Game 6 against the Heat and their final appearance in the 2022 playoffs.
Focusing on the upcoming season, pundits have criticized the 32-year-old guard for failing to help his team win the series. Some have suggested that he will be traded away from the franchise ahead of the 2023 NBA season.
Former teammate and current Minnesota Timberwolves guard, Pat Beverley, is of the opinion that the management of the 76ers need to let Harden see his contract through. He claimed that there's nobody in the league that can do the things the 10-time All-Star does; therefore, he should be given whatever wages he's asking for.
"You got to let him see it through. As far as money wise, you give the boy whatever he's asking for," Beverley said. "Unfortunately, it might sound kind of crazy, but there's no one in the league that can kind of do what he does."
Have the Philadelphia 76ers been better with the addition of James Harden?
James Harden offers any team a different type of skill set, one that sees him functioning as an amazing playmaker and a good shooter. While he seems to have fallen short in one (shooting), he still continues to contribute in the other. Harden has been able to retain his relevance on the court.
In the 2021-22 NBA regular season, he shot 41.4% from the field with the Brooklyn Nets and 40.2% with the 76ers. This is his lowest field goal percentage since his rookie season. He finished the season with an average of 21.0 points per game, recording his lowest ppg since his third season in the league.
“It will be a great summer to get my body right. I’ve been trying to get my body right these last 2 seasons”
-James Harden https://t.co/jXSPvIoxQf
With Harden on the court in the 76ers jersey, the franchise has recorded better stats than without him. With him, they recorded 117.4 points per game and 110.4 points without him. They had 26.0 assists per game with him on the court and 22.9 assists without him. It is clear that they are better with him on the court, but they are expected to be superb based on his talent on paper.