James Harden Wants to Lead the Philadelphia 76ers to NBA Champion
MDP Live - The newest Philadelphia 76ers basketball player, James Harden, is excited about his new role in the team. He believes he can bring the 76ers to become NBA champions this season.
As is known, James Harden has just been exchanged by the Brooklyn Nets for the Philadelphia 76ers on the last trade deadline. Harden is now happy because he can join the 76ers which is one of his dream teams. Now, he will partner with Joel Embiid to take the team further in the playoffs. Not only speaks volumes, but Harden also wants the title.
"Winning titles is the goal, mate. That's the goal. As Daryl Morey said, The chance to win is now. Joel is playing the best he's ever played. So my job is to come here and help him and help the whole team win this year's championship and years to come," Harden said in an interview with local media.
Although already part of the 76ers, it seems Harden will not be playing in the near future. The typical player with the nickname The Beard is still suffering from a hamstring injury and is certain to be sidelined in the upcoming All-Star Game. The 76ers had to be really patient waiting for Harden to recover so he could make his debut. The player's long-term health is the number one priority for now. Given that the regular season is getting short, there is no time for players to sustain serious injuries.
Kendrick Perkins Confident 76ers Will Be Our Horse In Title Hunt
MDP Live - Former NBA basketball player Kendrick Perkins believes that the Philadelphia 76ers will be the dark horse in the title race in the 2021-2022 season this time. Doc Rivers' team has a fairly solid and even strength.
At first, the Philadelphia 76ers were not seeded enough to talk much this season. How not, they have a complex problem with Ben Simmons, who was previously the team's mainstay playmaker. Because Simmons stopped playing, Doc Rivers as head coach finally put Tyrese Maxey as a starter. Who would have thought, the change would bring the 76ers to a better direction. Maxey's performance itself received direct praise from Kendrick Perkins.
"Philadelphia have a squad that is not very well looked after but is good. Tyrese Maxey is a young player with star caliber. I like the construction of this team," said Perkins.
Until the beginning of February this time, the 76ers were in third place in the East Conference standings with a record of 31 wins in 50 matches. Their record is indeed less impressive than the Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat. However, the 76ers continued to show significant performance improvements. Not to mention, Joel Embiid's performance as their mainstay player has been fierce lately.
It will be interesting to watch how the 76ers will perform, especially when they enter the playoffs later. One thing they have to avoid is the storm of injuries and COVID-19. The 76ers' journey in recent years in the playoffs has always been interrupted by the x-factor. Last season, Embiid had problems with his knee so that he appeared less than optimal. Simmons who was the main playmaker at that time also lost his confidence and his free throw accuracy was destroyed.