PHILADELPHIA — Talking for the primary time since James Harden was traded to the LA Clippers, Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid stated he did not agree with Harden’s evaluation that he was held again by the 76ers the previous couple of years.
“I do not suppose so,” Embiid stated after Thursday’s 114-99 victory over the Toronto Raptors, through which he completed with 28 factors, 13 rebounds and seven assists in 35 minutes. “I believe he did lots of nice issues for us.
“However in my view, we gave him the ball each single possession, as a result of he is actually good. He is an incredible participant. Clearly, being that nice of a passer, I believe we gave him the ball … we would give him the ball each single possession to simply exit and, , do his factor. And from there he needed to make choices so far as getting guys open or searching for himself.
“However I assumed he did a fairly good job of getting us into an offense and simply passing the ball, getting guys open. That is the explanation why he gained the help title final 12 months.”
Harden, talking at his introductory information convention in Los Angeles earlier Thursday, stated he felt like he was on “a leash” enjoying with Philadelphia final season, including, “I am not a system participant. I’m a system.”
However, as Embiid stated, Harden did lead the league in assists with the 76ers final season, whereas Embiid was tops in scoring and captured his first MVP award. The season ended with the 76ers dropping in seven video games within the Jap Convention semifinals to the Boston Celtics, marking the fifth time in six seasons Philly fell within the second spherical of the playoffs.
After Harden in the end opted into his $35.6 million participant possibility for this season in June, he requested a commerce from Philadelphia to the Clippers — a request that was granted early Tuesday.
Embiid stated he was happy Harden bought what he wished.
“I am glad that the state of affairs bought resolved, and I am glad for him,” Embiid stated. “I hope he has an opportunity to succeed, make some huge cash, play good basketball and be capable to win. And I hope we each make the Finals, however he is on the dropping aspect of it and we’re on the profitable aspect of it.
“However I believe once you’re wanting on the state of affairs, from the place it most likely got here from, we could not do nothing. It was out of our management. So in that state of affairs, you have simply bought to go along with it.
“However I nonetheless imagine we had an opportunity [to win together]. We have been proper there, particularly with the staff that we now have proper now. What he is ready to add and what he has finished, what we have allowed him to do, which, we gave the ball each single possession. … It is unlucky, however we have got to simply transfer on and we have got a very good group of men that may develop and preserve getting higher.”
After a season-opening one-point loss to host Milwaukee, Embiid and the 76ers (3-1) picked up their third straight win towards the Raptors. Along with Embiid’s dominance, Tobias Harris and Kelly Oubre Jr. every scored 23 factors.
Whereas Embiid stated that he did not imagine the Harden state of affairs ever served as a distraction for the 76ers, he added that it wasn’t as much as him to debate what potential strikes might happen, or what Philadelphia bought again within the deal — a mix of two draft picks, a swap of draft picks and forwards Nicolas Batum, Robert Covington, Marcus Morris Sr. and KJ Martin.
As a substitute, he stated that was for the entrance workplace to fret about.
“That is not my job,” Embiid stated. “My solely job is to attempt to win. I simply wish to make that clear. I simply wish to be in the most effective place to win.
“I am all the time going to imagine in myself anyhow. It would not matter who I play with. I really like the fellows that we now have. We’ll go and combat each single night time like we have been doing, and we all the time going have an opportunity to win. However as you see within the league, when guys have been profitable, it takes quite a bit and it takes everyone to contribute. And I imagine in our guys.
“However the one factor I care about is profitable. That is my focus. I hope that we’re all on the identical web page. as a result of that is all I need. The second we’re not on the identical web page then that is a dialogue for an additional day. However these guys wish to win and we will do our greatest.”
