NBA Buzz: How James Harden helped the Sixers succeed this season

I can’t guarantee this will be the final James Harden blog on this site, but I can promise that this is a must-read/watch for all Sixers fans.

Addition by subtraction is how the Harden departure will be viewed by the Sixers. But that wasn’t the only subtraction that came for this team. Obviously, the organization parted ways with Doc Rivers, and there were reports indicating that Harden was a big reason for the decision.

Doc on Harden

“It wasn’t bad, it wasn’t good, it was pretty much neutral.”

The former Sixers coach appeared on TheDanPatrick Show, where he had the opportunity to speak on the situation as well.

“Our relationship, it was an honest one. It’s probably why I’m doing TV.”

Sixers franchise cornerstone Joel Embiid was often time portrayed as someone who liked Doc Rivers, but he’s no idiot. He’s not someone who’s going to “out” someone still in the organization. His focus has always been to deliver a championship to the city, and any distraction or drama only hinders that possibility.

With that said, I don’t think anyone was seeking a new voice more than Embiid. And no new voice has had quite the impact and culture change like Nick Nurse. This is where you must do some actual deep-diving and not just accept everything in the media as the “truth.”

Heading into this season, Embiid had this to say about Philadelphia’s offensive changes:

“The biggest difference? I love it, and we all love it. This is the best way to win, and I’ve always believed that. I never liked the idea of just being a scorer.”

How Harden helped the Sixers

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