Shaquille O’Neal singles out James Harden as most to prove in playoffs
The Philadelphia 76ers have won a lot of games during the Joel Embiid era. They have been able to consistently say that they are championship contenders, but it hasn’t mattered when considering they have lost in Round 2 of the playoffs in four of the last five seasons.
In their first full season having James Harden on the roster, the hope is that they will be able to get past Round 2 and get to the top of the NBA mountaintop when the playoffs begin in April.
At the moment, Philadelphia is sitting at 40-22 and is the No. 3 seed in the East following a loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday. The Sixers will have a tall task trying to get past either of the Boston Celtics or the Milwaukee Bucks when the postseason begins.
NBA legend and TNT’s Shaquille O’Neal singled out Harden as the player with the most to prove in the playoffs:
James needs to win a championship. A lot of people think he doesn’t play well in the playoffs. What are you gonna do Mr. Harden? And for Joel Embiid, two years in a row they’re saying you’re the second best big man. This is your year to show that you are the best big man. I think if those two get motivated and play well and just use those factors as motivations, they can get it done. I’m going with Philly.
Harden has done everything a player can possibly accomplish in the NBA except for winning a championship. With the roster around him, he has a very good chance of being able to get it done, but there are going to be a ton of challenges to overcome and that will be an interesting situation to watch come April and May for this team.
