James Harden looks like his worst version with the basketball while also struggling with fitness, how will the Sixers deal with what Nets and Rockets dealt with recently?
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It seems like the Philadelphia 76ers are already at a point where the Brooklyn Nets were just a few months back and where the Houston Rockets were when James Harden was making life difficult for everyone involved.
As the Sixers and Raptors went head-on against each other throughout the three games last week, Joel Embiid confirmed he was dealing with a hand injury.
After getting some tests following their first loss in the series, which would be Game 4, the team’s medical staff checked him out, as the Sixers feared he might’ve torn a ligament.
Their fear came true and ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Sunday that’s actually the case just a couple of days after that game. Sixers head coach Doc Rivers confirmed it as well following a film session.
Shannon Sharpe believes James Harden is aging in dog years
Joel Embiid was struggling with his thumb throughout games 4 and 5 and still managed to score efficiently over 20 points in each of those games. Meanwhile, James Harden shot just 4-for-11 in game 5 following shooting a 5-for-17 in the previous game.
The 2018 MVP doesn’t look half the player he was in Houston, and Fox Sports analyst Shannon Sharpe believes ‘the Beard’ is aging like a dog, and he said it on National Television.
Unc @ShannonSharpe ain’t have to do james harden like that 😭😭😭
“James harden aging in dog years” pic.twitter.com/9pi5nW2228
— Shannon Sharpe Burner Account (@shannonsharpeee) April 26, 2022
The Sixers might not recover to win one more game in the series and become the first team to blow a 3-0 series lead in the Playoffs. That will lead to several unforeseen circumstances one of which could be that Doc Rivers lose his job.
If that happens Philly will start a new brand of basketball with a new season and further reduce their chances of winning a title And it’ll be only Harden, his declining – fitness, form, and adaptive nature that will be responsible for it all.