Miami Heat Playoffs: Can James Harden Still Be The Best Player On The Floor?

A general view of the Philadelphia 76ers bench during the game against the Miami Heat(Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images)
A general view of the Philadelphia 76ers bench during the game against the Miami Heat(Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images) /
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James Harden #13 of the Houston Rockets dribbles against Jimmy Butler #22 of the Miami Heat in the first half at American Airlines Arena(Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images) /

Miami Heat Playoffs: Can James Harden Still Be The Best Player On The Floor?

Though he has begun to become more well-rounded in his statistical output since leaving Houston, there are certain situations where his teams might still need him to be the James Harden that he has shown he can be on offense in the past.

What are a few of those situations, might one ask?

Namely, somewhere in that Toronto series would have been nice, perhaps saving Embiid from injury in the first place had they taken care of their business, but especially with him now out for their first two games against Miami.

Related Story. Heat Playoffs: Must Capitalize With Joel Embiid Out At Least 2 Games. light

They’ll need him to be Houston James Harden in order to stand a chance without Embiid. That’s the question though.

Can he still be that?

Yes, the Miami Heat have Tyrese Maxey to deal with, averaging 21.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 3.5 assists across four games versus the Miami Heat this season, but that leans right into why you ask if James Harden can still beat them alone.

Can he still be the best player on the floor when it all breaks down. Here’s what that means.