James Harden Speaks on ‘Down Year’ With Nets, Sixers

James Harden’s 2021 playoff run with the Brooklyn Nets was short-lived. After the star guard suffered a hamstring injury, Harden had no choice but to get an

James Harden’s 2021 playoff run with the Brooklyn Nets was short-lived. After the star guard suffered a hamstring injury, Harden had no choice but to get an early start on his offseason.

The 2021 offseason was unlike any other for Harden. As he had to rehab from his hamstring injury, the All-Star didn’t get to prepare for the 2021-2022 NBA season as he typically would. And when it came time to play, he didn’t produce as he did in the past.

In 44 games with the Nets, Harden put up 22 points per game. Two seasons prior, he was the NBA’s scoring champion, averaging nearly 35 points.

It was assumed that Harden’s move to Philadelphia via trade would do wonders for him since he would share the court with an MVP candidate in Joel Embiid, but the numbers dropped lower. In 21 games with the Sixers, Harden put up 21 points per game.

Then when the playoffs rolled around, Harden averaged 18 points per game in 12 outings. The last time he failed to exceed an average of 20 points per game in a playoff run was in 2012 when Harden came off the bench for the Oklahoma City Thunder.

There’s been a lot of talk about Harden’s recent decline, as many believe his prime is certainly in the rearview. However, the ten-time All-Star shrugs off those comments in a recent interview with Yahoo Sports’ Chris Haynes.

“I don’t really listen to what people are saying,” Harden said via Haynes. “I wasn’t right last season and I still almost averaged a triple-double,” Harden told Yahoo Sports. “If anybody else had those numbers, we’d be talking about them getting the max. People were used to seeing me averaging 40, 30 points, and so they viewed it as a down year.”

To say Harden wasn’t valuable to the 76ers last year would be false. When Harden finally made his Philly debut, the veteran guard offered playmaking skills the team didn’t previously have. While Harden’s scoring numbers were down, he still averaged over ten assists and was valuable in the rebounding department as he came down with seven boards per game.

“I was in Philadelphia for a couple of months and I had to learn on the fly,” Harden explained to Yahoo Sports. “That’s just what it was. I’m in a good space physically and mentally right now, and I’m just looking forward to next season.”

At the moment, Harden remains an unrestricted free agent. While he could technically sign anywhere he wants, the star guard makes it clear he’s fully committed to the Sixers for next season, and he has nothing but a championship victory in his plans.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.

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