I do not think so because I don’t think you win a championship with James Harden. It’s that simple. I just don’t think you do. When you look at star — true star players around the NBA and I’m not saying that James Harden is not a star. Clearly, he’s been an MVP in this league, statistical domination for a decade. When you look at star players though, right? There’s a couple of things that most of those guys will be able to do that James Harden has shown repeatedly he can’t and here’s the first thing: star player’s floor on a given night can’t be what James Harden’s floor is, OK? My point being if you’re a 23-to-25 point guy, right? That’s who you are. You might have a rough shooting night in a playoff game or a big spot or it’s Game 5 and it’s 2-2, you’re gonna find a way to get to 20 because you get to the line. You’re still making plays. Maybe that’s a night you get 8-to-10 assists, whatever that may be, when James Harden hits the floor, it’s a six-point night with six turnovers and disappears in the fourth quarter of games where he doesn’t want any part of that moment. You can’t overcome it because he’s got the ball the whole game. He is so important because the ball is in his hands. So his floor is lower than other star players on those nights.

Legler brings up a great point here. Harden was absolutely phenomenal in Game 1 and Game 4 of the series with the Celtics. The other five games? Not so much. Game 7 is what stands out the most as he had just nine points on 3-for-11 shooting, but even in Game 6 with a chance to close the series out at home, he shot 4-for-16 and had 13 points. Boston’s Jayson Tatum was able to turn it on late and carry the Celtics to a win despite struggling mightily for 40 minutes.

Just take a look at this last series against Boston, right? We know what he did in Game 1. Prolific. Goes up to Boston without (Joel) Embiid, dropped 40-plus, they win that game on the road. Game 4, I think one of the defining moments of his career, they’re down 2-1, he goes for 40-plus in a home game and gets it done. It’s two games in a seven-game series. The other five games in that series, he averaged 12 points a game. That’s my point. And shot 35% from the field. You can’t overcome it. The other thing that he has a hard time doing is do what Jayson Tatum did against them and that series which is this: on a night when you are awful, still find it late. James Harden doesn’t do that.

.@LegsESPN on if the 76ers should keep the Embid-Harden duo 👀

"I do not think so, because I don't think you win a championship with James Harden." pic.twitter.com/m1q8MFvymr

— First Take (@FirstTake) June 27, 2023