76ers want to get James Harden medically checked before he plays
By Ryan Ward
After weeks of speculation, the Brooklyn Nets pulled the trigger on trading star point guard James Harden to the Philadelphia 76ers.
The 10-time All-Star gets a fresh new opportunity with the 76ers playing alongside fellow star big man Joel Embiid. Harden will have to wait to make his debut on Tuesday night against the Boston Celtics.
According to Tim Bontemps of ESPN, the reasoning is rooted behind Harden needing to get medically checked by the team over the weekend.
The newly acquired superstar guard will not play Friday against the Oklahoma City Thunder or Saturday against the Cleveland Cavaliers, as he is expected to arrive in Philadelphia this weekend and get looked over by the team’s medical personnel.
Harden has missed the last week of action due to hamstring tightness. The 76ers want to check out the severity of the injury as he’s missed time this season and last year. He’s performed well when healthy, putting up triple-double-like numbers averaging 22.5 points, 10.2 assists, and 8.0 rebounds.
Harden will immediately step into a prominent role with the 76ers as the primary ball-handler. He will work alongside Embiid as the team’s top-scoring option.
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Head coach Doc Rivers will likely give him significant control over the offense due to his playmaking as a passer and scoring prowess. Harden’s arrival to the 76ers pushes the franchise toward being one of the favorites in the Eastern Conference.
He will have roughly over two months to figure out his role and find comfort to lead Philadelphia forward.
