Original title: The 76ers forced the Dideng dual-core short-lived into a problem whether Harden is worth retaining
On May 13, Beijing time, the 2021-22 NBA playoffs continued. The Philadelphia 76ers ushered in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Miami Heat. After the whole game, the Heat defeated the 76ers 99-90 and eliminated their opponents with a total score of 4-2, taking the lead in advancing to the Eastern Conference finals.
This past season, the 76ers have gone through a variety of twists and turns.
At the beginning of the season, due to Ben Simmons falling out with the team and never returning to the team for training and games, Philadelphia’s lineup was reduced.
But in the middle of the season, after arduous negotiations and operations, Philadelphia finally sent away Simmons and acquired Harden from the Nets. It was also after the big deal was made that Philadelphia was once regarded as the biggest winner, and even once owned Champions.
Because of Harden’s arrival, the appearance of the Philadelphia team has undergone tremendous changes, and the team’s fighting spirit has ushered in a peak that has not been seen in recent years.
Harden averaged 24.6 points, 7.6 rebounds and 12.4 assists in his first five games with his new club, shooting 53%, 45% and 89% from the field. In these five games, the 76ers won all of them. It seems that Harden and Philadelphia have become a perfect match.
But soon, Harden’s weakness became apparent, and his honeymoon period with Embiid had ended prematurely before it reached the playoffs. At the end of the regular season, both Coach Rivers and Embiid criticized Harden’s sticky ball play in public. The beard lost his confidence, and his running-in with his teammates became stumbling and unable to advance.
So, when it came to the playoffs, the 76ers’ combat power gradually declined, especially after Embiid was injured and even missed, Harden’s single-core night turned into a disaster. In the 3rd and 4th games of the semi-finals, Dadi’s comeback briefly pulled the team out of the quagmire behind and brought the series back to a stalemate. However, in the face of the toughness and ferocity of the Heat, the 76ers could not stand it after all. In the series G5 and G6, they experienced a helpless rout and bid farewell to this season completely.
This season has also been mixed for Embiid personally. In the regular season, Dadi once again played an MVP-level game. He averaged 30.6 points per game, becoming the first center in history to win the season scoring title since O’Neal in the 1999-00 season. In addition to scoring, Dadi’s season attendance rate, average playing time, rebounds, assists, free throws and many other indicators have also created career highs. It can be said that this season, Dadi has firmly established his position as a top star in the league. .
However, in the playoffs, Embiid suffered a serious injury with a torn ligament in his finger. Then, he was hit in the face and fractured his face. In addition, in the knee, back and other positions, the emperor is more or less. Injuries and the “riddled holes” on his body have indeed lowered his deterrent power to a large extent.
Originally, the emperor expected Harden to come to the rescue at a critical moment, but in the past season, Harden has tasted the bitterness of the decline of his career. In the Nets, he encountered a crisis of confidence and became a scapegoat for fans to boo. After coming to Philadelphia, Beard tried hard to integrate, but he still couldn’t fundamentally reverse the downturn.
It can be said that in Philadelphia, Harden is no longer the absolute core of the year on and off the court. And in the eyes of some experts, Harden’s peak form is long gone. In the elimination battle, Harden’s embarrassing 0 score in the second half became the epitome of his rapid decline in the past two years.
With the season out and the offseason, the 76ers will have a lot of problems to deal with. First, whether Harden should be retained. If it is retained, Philadelphia will provide Harden with what kind of contract extension; if not retained, what kind of new partner should Philadelphia find for Embiid.
Secondly, except for Embiid and Maxey, the rest of the team has also been questioned, and even Rivers on the bench may be poached or even left.
Of course, speaking of the Great Emperor, after being eliminated from the game today, the Great Emperor sat alone on the bench with an extremely lonely expression. Obviously, he was unwilling to accept the fate of being eliminated early in the playoffs again and again. And for the sake of championship goals, is it really wise to stay with the 76ers? In the future, is it possible that the emperor is already considering a different career direction? (Poirot)Return to Sohu, see more
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