The trade finally happened. Ben Simmons is a Net, along with Andre Drummond and Seth Curry. The two first-round picks will be so late they will not matter at all. The Nets likely asked for them so that they could trade them in the future.
Harden is a top 10 player and one of the greatest one-on-one scorers of all time. He and Joel are instantly the best 1-2 punch of any team in the league. The Sixers are now a real title contender and Vegas odds have them as a top 4 team right after the Nets, Suns, and Warriors. We wanted a championship contender and now we have one. What does the inclusion of Harden do to the dynamics of the team? The starting line-up is obvious. It will be Maxey, Harden, Thybulle, Harris, and Embiid. This is an easy one and everyone is expecting it. The big changes will be the rotations and how different players are utilized.
Joel Embiid
I do not expect a big change for Joel Embiid. He is the number one option and will continue to be that way. Harden showed that he does not have to be the number one option when he joined the Nets. He was comfortable setting up Irving and Durant. I am sure he will be equally comfortable setting up Embiid. Harden will likely play a lot of point guard. Embiid will take the ball up the court when it makes sense for a break, but otherwise either Harden or Maxey will bring the ball up. The big difference will be spacing for Joel. Harden draws multiple defenders. Joel should get many more one-on-one opportunities. The biggest worry will be the back-up center position. I hope that Rivers uses more staggered line-ups so that players like Bassey and Paul Reed can play meaningful minutes without hurting the team.
Tobias Harris
Toby has been in a tough position this season. He is an ideal off the ball third scorer. When he is in that position he is an All Star. Allow Toby to catch and shoot or quickly drive and he will score at a very high percentage. This season Toby has had to be the #2 option and at times a shot creator. That is not his strong point. He ends up dribbling too long and getting in trouble. Also, he is not a great passer and that shows when he is forced to lead the offense. Harden will change all of that. Harris is likely to be the big winner in this trade. I expect to see a lot of Harden drives with kickouts to Harris for a three. He will also play with Maxey who can do the same thing. Tobias should have a great end to the season.
Matisse Thybulle
I hear a lot of people worried about Matisse’s offense. He is an elite defender, quite possibly the best perimeter defender in the game. When he played with Simmons, it mattered that he could not shoot. Now he is playing with two of the top 10 scorers in the NBA and two strong scorers in Maxey and Harris. Like Draymond Green, his offense will not matter. Thybulle’s man can leave him to help out, but who is he going to help on? If he helps on Embiid then Harden has a one-on-one. If he helps on Harden then Embiid is going to be one-on-one. Harden is not a good defender. Thybulle’s defense becomes more important with Harden on the floor. I think that Thybulle is now a perfect fit with this new line-up.
Tyrese Maxey
Harden’s inclusion on the team will have the biggest impact on Maxey. Tyrese was the second option as a one-on-one player and played a lot of point guard on this team. Harden will take over both of those roles. Maxey will continue to start, but his role will change a lot. When he is with the starting line-up, I expect to see Maxey spending a lot more time in the corner looking to catch and shoot. He will likely lead some fast breaks, his role in the half court offense will be much more off the ball.
In addition, his rotations will likely change a lot. I expect to see Milton or Korkmaz joining the starting line-up early so that Maxey can play with the second team. With the loss of Drummond, it will be important to have starters who can create offense with the second team. Maxey will have to split time to make sure that they have a scorer when Embiid and Harden are resting. Harden and Embiid may stagger as well, but I think that Maxey is the more likely option during the regular season so that Harden and Embiid can rest.
Shake Milton
Shake has been out for a while and we have missed him. Shake is a very solid player who should be greatly helped with this trade. Shake is good at driving and an elite shooter when he has space. Don’t forget he had a streak of 14 straight three point shots just last year. His jump shot is a little low and slow, so he cannot create his a shot. With Harden and Embiid, he won’t have to. I expect the Sixers to play him more with the starters and he will love the open shots. He is a better catch and shoot player than Maxey and then can now use him that way. Shake will love this change.
Can the Sixers win the championship? I don’t know. What I do know is that in the near term Harden makes this team much better. I am excited for the second half of this season.
Posidelphia 