Ads
Getty oel Embiid # 21 of teammate James Harden # 1 of the Philadelphia 76ers.
The stage is set for the NBA season as each team prepares to begin their retreat. Expectations are high for many teams and the Philadelphia 76ers are certainly the ones feeling the pressure. The organization has failed to make it through the second round of the playoffs for five consecutive seasons and the championship window is starting to shrink. However, there are many reasons for optimism around the team. James Harden has now had an entire offseason to get healthy and become more familiar with his teammates, while Joel Embiid remains in the height of his career. Tyrese Maxey also made great strides and became the third star of the team.
A recent article by Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley pointed to these reasons for optimism in his bold predictions for next season. In addition to some team successes, the Sixers are expected to be active in the year-end awards. The article predicted that Embiid would eventually win his MVP award and that Harden would find himself back in an All-NBA team.
Joel Embiid wins the MVP
It’s no secret how close Joel Embiid came to this prestigious award. The Kansas product has been second in consecutive seasons and has expressed frustration at the way qualifying for the award appears to be changing. The Sixers superstar was the favorite for the award for most of last season, but Nikola Jokic rushed to win it for the second consecutive year.
Joel Embiid in the last 2 seasons:
– 30 / 11— 51/37/83% – 1st in PPG— 2x All-NBA— 2x All-Star— All-Defense
Second in the MVP vote for 2 consecutive years. pic.twitter.com/4lVuZd7n6f
– StatMuse (@statmuse) August 14, 2022
If Embiid can mirror his output from last year, in which he averaged 30.6 points, 11.7 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.5 blocks, he will certainly be among the top.
As things currently stand, Embiid is listed as the second favorite for the award, behind only Luka Doncic. Voter fatigue, as well as the decrease in touches due to the return of Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr, could again exclude Jokic from the race. There have been only three players to win MVPs for three consecutive years (Bill Russell, Oscar Robinson, Larry Bird). Embiid definitely has the ability and will be looking to break his streak of second-place streak victories during the 2022-23 season.
James Harden is part of an All-NBA team
In the 13 seasons he has been in the NBA, James Harden has made an All-NBA team seven times. He was most recently honored for this achievement during the 2019-20 season in his last full season with the Houston Rockets.
Although Harden’s perception has significantly diminished, his numbers still look strong. In the 21 games he played for the Sixers last season, he averaged 21.0 points, 10.5 assists and 7.1 rebounds per game. He provided the team with some of the best directing he’d ever seen and proved to be a lethal pick-and-roll partner with Joel Embiid.
James Harden’s brilliant direction made a huge difference in the Sixers’ attack.
Some of his best assists with Philly so far: pic.twitter.com/NrUVvOKaXS
– Tom West (@TomWestNBA) August 3, 2022
After spending an entire offseason recovering from his hamstring injury and more time building chemistry with his Sixers teammates, there is every reason to be optimistic about increasing production. Much has been done about his decision to give up his $ 47.4 million player option this off-season in favor of a friendlier deal for the team. The Sixers benefited greatly from the extra money provided, but the contract also gives Harden the option to give up after this season and negotiate a new deal.
If Harden is looking for another maximum contract, he’ll have to prove it with his game. Going back in time and producing at a high level will surely make the Sixers comfortable handing him this money. The star shooting guard has proven to be one of the NBA’s 15 best players for most of his career and will look to do so again in 2022-23. If this were to be the case and Harden secured the All-NBA honors, all parties involved would no doubt be happy.
The heaviest of the Sixers news
loading multiple stories
Ads
–
