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Tim BontempsESPN
MINNEAPOLIS — Because the Philadelphia 76ers put together to see James Harden take courtroom of their uniforms for the primary time Friday evening in opposition to the Minnesota Timberwolves, 76ers star Joel Embiid stated Harden was very totally different from the one he had heard about earlier than he arrived.
“I imply, it is humorous, you see all of the tales on the market, all that stuff, and clearly all of us see it,” Embiid stated earlier than the taking pictures in Philadelphia on Friday morning. “It’s very totally different from what you see there. He is an important individual, an important persona, at all times smiling, a pleasure to be round. The whole lot, actually.”
“His presence within the staff and on the bottom has actually modified so much since he acquired right here. So I am simply excited for it to proceed on the pitch and I feel that can assist us so much.”
Two weeks after Philadelphia traded Harden, and three weeks after taking part in his final recreation because the Brooklyn Internet, the 10-time All-Star is able to enter the courtroom after spending the previous two weeks recovering from the tight hamstrings that left him sitting out from the final three video games of his tenure at Brooklyn.
However he hasn’t been on the harm report all Friday, having been totally concerned in Thursday’s coaching on the College of Minnesota, and seems totally able to take off as 76 gamers begin a 24-game dash via the tip of the common season whereas attempting. To include one of many recreation’s largest stars into their operations.
And whereas this recreation was understandably preceded by loads of boosters, given the energy of Harden’s star, 76ers coach Doc Rivers stated he did not have to speak to his gamers about managing expectations and feelings earlier than the famous person debuted.
“No, I imply, guys know,” Rivers stated. “That is a race now. Twenty-four video games or no matter, and clearly all of us have a reasonably new staff with simply bringing in James. And we simply need to determine it out rapidly.”
“Pace relationship, that is what it’s.”
Apparently the 2 most necessary folks to construct chemistry collectively are Embiid and Harden, who spent the tip of Thursday’s coaching taking pictures three-pointers collectively after which participating in a brief one-on-one recreation. Embiid even used Harden’s patented gradient bounce – joking that he has one higher within the midrange however nonetheless has to do to steadiness Harden’s shot prowess from the 3-point vary – saying he thinks it is getting used to the goalkeeper’s recreation The superhero on the pitch might be clean.
He additionally stated that he admires how sensible Harden is from the restricted time they spent collectively.
“Effectively, it isn’t my job to determine the formations and stuff, however I do not assume it may take lengthy,” Embiid stated when requested how lengthy it could take for the staff to achieve consolation and familiarity collectively.
“He is an important basketball participant, in fact, however he is additionally very sensible. And she or he provides that with the gamers we now have, however on the finish of the day, he begins out on prime.
“We have got to need it, I’ve acquired to need it, he is acquired to need it, and the others will comply with. However I feel it may be clean and we’ll get began.”
Away from Harden and Embiid getting used to one another, the 2 questions Rivers must reply are: Who would be the staff’s fifth starter – alongside two superstars, Tobias Harris and Therese Maxi – and the way these 4 fundamental offensive gears might be cut up all through the match.
Rivers has stated repeatedly for the reason that commerce that he plans to rearrange these 4 gamers in order that not less than two of them are on the sector collectively always. He is additionally stated that not less than considered one of Harden and Maxey ought to at all times be there, eliminating a season-long drawback of missing an actual key keeper every time Maxey left the sector whereas Ben Simmons was away from the staff in hopes of being traded elsewhere. .
However whereas Rivers performed down the query of who could be the fifth participant, saying it may change from recreation to recreation and that he believed the thought of who began was far much less necessary than who completed matches, he stated the objective within the subsequent 24 video games is to find which partnerships work greatest. Earlier than the beginning of the submit season.
“I do not know something about consistency, however not less than we all know what’s greatest,” Rivers stated. “What teams will we like when different teams are away from attending…that is the important thing for us.”
In the long run, although, the 76ers will go so far as the Embiid-Harden partnership will take them. And whereas Embiid could not assist however prick Simmons at discussing Harden’s skill to get together with the group on Friday – saying, “It will not be exhausting…we’re not speaking about non-shooters, or guys who’re restrained offensively. We’re speaking About James Harden “- he stated that a very powerful factor is that everybody is aligned with the identical objective.
“It is nice for us as a staff,” Embiid stated. “It is setting expectations greater than it was once, and it is placing lots of strain on everybody, so I am excited. I am excited for everybody to play at one other degree, particularly me, so I feel it may be enjoyable.”
