When the 76ers traded for James Harden in the February deadline, it looked like they were finally ready to contend. Though the Beard got off to a promising start, his level eventually declined and he failed to perform when it mattered the most last season.
Philadelphia was out of the playoffs in the Eastern Conference semifinals, and much of the blame fell on Harden. Still, the team decided not to make significant changes this offseason, keeping the All-Star as well as head coach Doc Rivers.
Despite having the support from Daryl Morey and the Sixers‘ front office, Harden still has to prove many of his doubters wrong. He may have to post incredible numbers to appease them, but for him, the ultimate goal is to win a championship.
James Harden doesn’t care about the stats as long as Sixers win NBA championship
“Me averaging 20 points, averaging damn near a triple-double, us winning at a high rate, one or two seed, giving us a really good chance where we’re all playing really good basketball, or averaging 28 in the same kind of thing — it’s all the same,” James Harden told Joe Vardon of The Athletic. “Ultimately, it’s winning a championship. The numbers don’t really mean anything, individually.”
