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“I try to make the game easier for Joel Embiid”: James Harden doesn’t want the seven-foot center to dribble the ball too much or play 1-on-1 but rather get him easy looks at the basket

Arjun Julka
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Joel Embiid and James Harden En Route to Be the First Duo To Lead NBA in Scoring and Assists Since 1982

Newly acquired Sixers guard James Harden admits he wants to make the game easier for Joel Embiid so that the latter gets better looks at the basket.

The superstar duo of James Harden and Joel Embiid have put the league on notice with a 3-0 start to their alliance. It’s great news for fans in Philadelphia, who finally find themselves out of the controversial Ben Simmons situation, taking a whole lot of load off Embiid’s shoulders.

Earlier this week, ESPN analyst and former NBA champion Kendrick Perkins compared the Sixers duo to Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Both Harden and Embiid are highly skilled individuals with great ability to score the ball.

After getting a few games in with Embiid, Harden spoke about easing the load off the Cameroon big man. On the other hand, The Process believes he and Harden have high basketball IQs, sharing the same goals.

Also read: “Playing the Raptors in the postseason concerned James Harden about Kyrie Irving”: 76ers guard had a telling sign he would leave Brooklyn according to reports

Harden is confident about things getting scary for the opposition with time. The Sixers seem in a good space, especially with The Beard adding so much to the arsenal.

James Harden talks about making the game easier for Joel Embiid and spacing out the floor.

Harden and Embiid have the potential to be one of the greatest duos in modern NBA, considering they bring everything to the table from size, shooting, playmaking, to defense. The arrival of the former Nets superstar also makes things easy for Embiid, who had to do most of the heavy lifting.

“I continue to tell Jo, he’s just so used to just dribbling up and having to go 1-on-1 which he’s great at, but I try to make the game easier for him in the sense of ‘OK, you give me the ball whenever the game slows down and whatnot, I can get you some easy ones, so you don’t have to go against a defender every single time,” said Harden. “You can get your little 15 or 18-footer or you can get a layup’.”

The multiple-time All-Star duo has the perfect pick and roll game, with Harden fitting perfectly into the Doc Rivers system of basketball. Embiid doesn’t hesitate to say that he and Harden are smart ball players, and the addition of the latter has spaced out things on the floor.

“We’re smart basketball players,” said Embiid. “We have the same goals, locked in, it’s not just about us. It’s about them, Tyrese (Maxey) and all the other guys, but he’s an extremely smart basketball player. He knows how to play, all about the team.”

Harden is assured that with time things are only going to get scary for the opposition.

“The more we can figure that out and get that more times than not, I think it’s gonna be difficult because we create so much indecision,” Harden added. “Now our shooters are getting shots and now everybody’s easting. It’s a process, but we’re in a good space right now.”

Via: SIXERSWIRE

Also read: “They’re a better team”: LeBron James humbly admits the stronger Los Angeles team is the Clippers

The arrival of a three-time scoring champion and former MVP in Harden has made the Sixers a top contender for the chip this season.

About the author

Arjun Julka

Arjun Julka

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Arjun Julka is a NBA author at The SportsRush. Basketball isn’t just a sport for this 26-year-old, who hails from Mumbai. He began watching the sport after stumbling upon a court in his society, helping him identify an undiscovered passion for the game of hoops. Now an ardent fan, Arjun supports Stephen Curry and the Warriors but also enjoys watching Giannis Antetokounmpo own the paint. When it comes to the GOAT debate, the TSR author feels LeBron James is yet to receive a lot of his due but cannot deny marveling at Michael Jordan’s resume.

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