Joel Embiid Discusses James Harden's Potential Return Next Week

James Harden is reportedly on pace to return to the court next week.

It’s been a while since Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid has shared the court with the ten-time All-Star James Harden. 

As Harden went down with an injury early last month, he played in just nine games to begin the 2022-2023 season. After getting diagnosed with a tendon strain in his foot, Harden was ruled out for roughly a month to recover.

This season, Harden averaged 22 points, ten assists, and seven rebounds. While the Sixers were just 4-5 with his services, the Sixers were beginning to hit their stride in the few games leading up to Harden’s absence.

The Sixers have been doing well for themselves, even without Harden on the floor. With De’Anthony Melton stepping in for the All-Star and Shake Milton eventually taking over for the injured Tyrese Maxey, the 76ers were thrilled to see the two bench pieces thrive with the starters.

“When everybody is hurt, obviously new opportunities open up for everybody else,” said Sixers center Joel Embiid. “Everybody else gets to take more shots. They got more opportunities to make plays and shoot the ball. 

Since Maxey went out, Milton started in seven games. Over that stretch, the young veteran averaged 22 points, six assists, and six rebounds. As for Melton, he started in 11 of 12 games since Harden’s been out. During that time, the veteran averaged 12 points, four assists, and five rebounds.

The next-man-up mentality worked in Philadelphia, but the 76ers aren’t going to kid themselves. They are a better team with their best playmaker on the floor, which is something Embiid pointed out earlier this week.

“When you got someone like him, he’s such a good playmaker. You got to put the ball in his hands,” said Embiid. “I think it’s all about managing it. I think we’ve been playing at a good pace. We just got to make sure the ball keeps moving, and we keep kicking the ball ahead. Even before he got hurt, we were already doing it.”

Harden will miss his 14th straight game on Friday night when the Sixers face the Memphis Grizzlies. The team will get Saturday and Sunday off before returning to the court on Monday night to face the Houston Rockets. It’s too early to tell whether Harden will be back on the floor by then or not, but all signs are pointing toward that being the case.

“It’s going to be fun,” Embiid finished. “I don’t know when he’s coming back, but we need a lot of help. He’s one of our best players, and he’s so freaking good. Anything we can get at this point, we will need it.”

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