Miami Heat Playoffs: James Harden’s Worst Nightmares Soon Come
As they defeated the Toronto Raptors in six games, Harden was the Sixers’ second-leading scorer behind Embiid. Nonetheless, he averaged just 13 shot attempts on 58 percent True Shooting, which accounts for his lowest since the 2018-19 postseason.
Throughout the first round, it was noticeable that the ten-time All-Star played tentatively within the 76ers offense. Albeit, his passive play did get him to 10.2 assists per game, which is statistically his highest assist average in his 12 postseason appearances.
Considering the hamstring injury that’s been reported on heavily, it has, indeed, forced Harden to display less assertiveness. Now and without Embiid, his star running-mate that he joined in late February after he was traded from Brooklyn, it’s clear that James will need to endure any current ailments and shoulder much of the Sixers’ offense.
However, this couldn’t have come against a worse opponent than the Miami Heat.
Miami, a team that has exuded confidence (and rightfully so) after holding the NBA’s sixth-highest scoring team in Atlanta to just 102.3 points and just under 45 percent shooting in the first round, could put Philadelphia in the exact same situation.