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Tim BontempsESPN
What's already been a topsy-turvy play for the Philadelphia 76ers shifted erstwhile again Thursday, erstwhile the squad announced All-Star defender James Harden had suffered a close ft tendon strain. Sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski that Harden is expected to miss a month.
Philadelphia, which is 4-5 entering Friday night's crippled against the New York Knicks, is trying to find a bushed aft a disappointing commencement for a radical that was retooled this offseason astir its stars and built for a title run.
So what does Harden's ft wounded mean for him to the 76ers? How volition MVP contender Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Co. grip the adjacent respective weeks? Here are 5 questions astir Philadelphia -- and wherever it goes from present -- arsenic the franchise looks to combat retired of an aboriginal play hole.
MORE: Where Philly lands successful ESPN's latest NBA Power Rankings
1. What's adjacent for the Sixers portion Harden is out?
A hard agelong successful the docket is conscionable ahead. After facing the Knicks, the 76ers person a tally that includes:
The Phoenix Suns astatine location (Monday).
A home-and-home acceptable with the Atlanta Hawks (Nov. 10 and 12).
The astonishing 6-3 Jazz connected the 2nd nighttime of a back-to-back (Nov. 13).
A back-to-back acceptable with the Milwaukee Bucks (Nov. 18, ESPN) and the Minnesota Timberwolves (Nov. 19).
A sojourn from the Brooklyn Nets connected Nov. 22, which could beryllium the archetypal clip Ben Simmons plays successful a crippled successful Philadelphia since being traded astatine past season's deadline.
And that's conscionable starring into Thanksgiving -- aft the holiday, Philly faces the red-hot Cleveland Cavaliers, the Hawks and the Memphis Grizzlies.
In different words: The 76ers won't beryllium easing into beingness without Harden.
The fearfulness for Philadelphia is missing chunks of clip could beryllium the caller mean for Harden, who turned 33 successful August and has played the eighth-most minutes of immoderate progressive NBA player.
Across the 8 afloat seasons Harden starred successful Houston (2013 to 2019) helium missed a combined 29 games, and ne'er missed much than 10 successful a azygous season.
Harden is 1 of 2 players averaging astatine slightest 10 assists this season, on with Suns defender Chris Paul. In addition, the 76ers person an assistance accidental complaint of 55% erstwhile Embiid, Harden and Maxey stock the floor, according to Second Spectrum tracking data.
That complaint drops to 43.8% erstwhile Harden is not connected the floor, which would fertile successful the bottommost 5 successful the league.
2. Will November beryllium the period of Maxey?
Entering Thursday night's action, Maxey had played an NBA-high 340 minutes this season, with Harden's 331 minutes coming successful second. Philadelphia has hardly ever sat some astatine the aforesaid clip and often has had them playing together.
For the adjacent fewer weeks, the 76ers are going to go Maxey's squad full-time arsenic acold arsenic pb ballhandling duties go. What already was a prolific commencement to the play -- Maxey's points per crippled person changeable up to 24.2 from 17.5 past play -- volition germinate into a heavier load connected his shoulders.
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Tyrese Maxey shows up successful a large mode for the 76ers, giving them their 2nd triumph of the twelvemonth down a career-best 44-point performance.
Per Second Spectrum, erstwhile Maxey shares the tribunal with Harden and Joel Embiid helium averages 16.7 shots per 100 possessions. When he's retired determination with conscionable Embiid that fig astir doubles to 32.3.
"It's astonishing however he's successful twelvemonth 3 present and he's confident, he's moving his team, he's playing similar an All-Star," Washington Wizards defender Bradley Beal said Wednesday aft beating Maxey and the 76ers. "He's ace talented and the crippled is lone going to proceed to dilatory down much and much for him, which is adjacent scarier."
Maxey came into the play tapped arsenic a large breakout candidate. This volition beryllium an accidental for him to not lone assistance support Philadelphia's discourtesy -- which presently sits 4th successful the league -- humming with Harden sidelined, but to amusement helium tin capable the elite playmaking void alongside Embiid.
3. What mentation of Embiid volition the 76ers get?
This play was expected to beryllium astir Embiid's dominance and however Philadelphia had yet assembled a roster astir the superstar large antheral that made consciousness astatine some ends of the court.
Through the archetypal 2 weeks of the season, things haven't gone according to plan.
Embiid has already missed 3 games -- including the past 2 for a non-COVID unwellness -- and has disclosed that helium was dealing with a lawsuit of plantar fasciitis implicit the summertime which helped lend to his sluggish commencement to the season.
Embiid is inactive averaging 27.2 points per crippled connected 53.2% shooting from the field, but Philadelphia is inactive floundering adjacent the bottommost of the league successful defence -- much connected that successful a spot -- and Embiid has grumbled astir the shot not moving astir the mode he'd similar it to be.
"We conscionable person to support playing disconnected of each other," Embiid said aft the 76ers' opening-night nonaccomplishment to the Boston Celtics. "The shot can't instrumentality ... We've got to conscionable support moving the ball, going to the 2nd action, and it conscionable doesn't halt astatine the pick-and-roll."
Heading into a agelong wherever Philadelphia volition look disconnected against a flurry of star-powered teams, it volition beryllium up to Embiid to transportation it forward. With the extent of endowment crossed the Eastern Conference this season, nary contender tin spend a unsmooth fewer weeks. And Philadelphia's nether .500 commencement to this constituent has lone exacerbated the request for things to commencement turning astir successful a hurry to conscionable this group's lofty preseason expectations.
4. Will Tobias Harris find his violative role?
Philadelphia's highest-paid subordinate (Harris is making much than $37 cardinal successful 2022-23) has been a comparative afterthought connected discourtesy this season. His points per crippled (13.4) and shots per crippled (10.7) are his lowest since his 2nd play successful the NBA.
Harris is an highly extremely paid spot-up shooter, arsenic much than fractional his attempts person travel from 3-point scope and his escaped propulsion complaint has plummeted.
"He evidently has to get utilized to ... not touching the shot arsenic overmuch arsenic helium has successful the past," 76ers manager Doc Rivers said of Harris aft Wednesday's nonaccomplishment to Washington. "And I truly deliberation he's trying to bash that ... We inactive privation to diagnostic him connected the station erstwhile helium has a matchup."
There volition beryllium plentifulness much opportunities to diagnostic Harris now.
He had arguably the champion agelong of his vocation precocious successful the 2021-22 regular play and into the playoffs, filling successful immoderate gaps were indispensable alongside Philadelphia's stars aft the squad acquired Harden from the Brooklyn Nets astatine the commercialized deadline.
Harris, who has averaged astatine slightest 17 points per crippled each of the past 5 seasons, present has an accidental to find his spot successful Philadelphia's discourtesy adjacent to Embiid and Maxey portion Harden works his mode back.
5. About that defense...
While the contiguous thought is replacing Harden's violative production, the woes astatine the different extremity of the tribunal (the 76ers fertile 23rd successful antiaircraft standing this season) are alarming for a squad that added 3-and-D players P.J. Tucker, De'Anthony Melton and Danuel House successful the offseason.
Before the play began Embiid declared helium wanted Philadelphia to beryllium the champion antiaircraft squad successful the NBA, but the 76ers person started the play allowing much than 13 points per 100 possessions much than the league-leading Bucks.
And connected that front, Maxey has been astatine slightest portion of the problem. In the 340 minutes he's been connected the tribunal this season, Philadelphia has allowed 115.6 points per 100 possessions. But successful the 92 minutes he's been connected the seat that fig has plummeted to 105.8, which would beryllium the fourth-best antiaircraft standing successful the league.
Harden being retired could mean much minutes for antiaircraft stopper Matisse Thybulle, contempt agelong lasting issues astatine the violative extremity that forced him retired of manager Doc Rivers' rotation.
"Defensively, we person to link better," Embiid said aft Philly dropped a 3rd consecutive crippled to unfastened the play against the San Antonio Spurs. "We're not guarding the shot well. We request to enactment connected that. It's a reasonably caller squad and it's going to instrumentality clip to get everyone connected the aforesaid page."
ESPN Stats & Information's Matt Williams contributed to this story.
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