It's still way too early to say but the weeks go by and the James Harden trade is looking worst by the day. Following an impressive start to their new era, the Philadelphia 76ers have struggled to find any sort of consistency, and Harden is to blame for a lot of that.
The former MVP has been erratic at best. His shot selection has been questionable, to say the least, and he's been nowhere to be found in big moments or good games. If anything, it's been Tyrese Maxey the one who's stepped up since his arrival.
Not only has that taken a big toll on Joel Embiid's MVP case but also, this Sixers team isn't intimidating with the playoffs just around the corner. That's why Shaquille O'Neal called him out after another terrible performance.
Shaq Says James Harden Has To Step Up Or The Sixers Are Done
“Whoopty-frickin-do! The solution is simple," Shaq said. "I wouldn’t have won my first championship if my other guy (Kobe) don’t average 28… They got another guy. They have a guy that has shown he can do that but hasn’t done that yet. First five games when they were on their honeymoon, he did that. But then he kind of faded. The solution is him. He gotta step up. Embiid is playing like an MVP, what you gonna do? I don’t know if he has the switch, I just know he needs to play at the superstar level that we know he’s capable of. 15 assists is cool but you can’t go 3-12.”
Harden is having trouble topping the 20-point mark. His playmaking has been elite as per usual but if his shot isn't falling and he's not playing any defense, then there's no reason why he should even be on the court.
There's no denying that James Harden is one of the most explosive and dominant scorers in NBA history but given his recent story with injuries, his impending free agency, his well-documented struggles in the playoffs, and his party lifestyle; one can only wonder whether Daryl Morey made the right choice.
