?This Is Not a Team? That Seems to Care?: James Harden?s Antics Against Daryl Morey Bites Back, as 76ers Prepare for ?Undetermined? Future

James Harden has single-handedly managed to throw the Philadelphia 76ers into unrest and turmoil. The team is now faced with an undetermined future plagued with uncertainty. It all dates back to 2021 when the Sixers made a power move by trading in the former MVP and pairing him with Joel Embiid. Fast forward to this summer in June, when Harden demanded a trade.

However, his wish remained ungranted and thus began the drama laced with antics and tantrums. Harden went as far as to call the Sixers’ President of basketball operations Daryl Morey a liar. After this, Harden was basically missing from almost all team activities, followed by a ten-day hiatus just before the regular season kicked off until he showed up just the day the team was to travel to Milwaukee for their season-opening game. However, his antics had already put the Sixers in a very uncomfortable and uncertain stance regarding his future.

The Sixers were prepared for the uncertainty regarding Harden

As it turns out, Coach Nick and General Manager Elton Brand had decided to keep Harden back in Philly while the team traveled to Milwaukee. Jake Fischer of the No Cap Room podcast interprets this decision as, “This is not a team, and this is not a Head Coach in Nick Nurse that seems to really care whether Harden’s there or not“.

However, this does not imply that the Sixers have lost interest in Harden. It also does not mean they will penalize him for stepping on the rules, such as his failure to show up to the team’s media day, or his absence during practices.

As Jake puts it, “I think this whole roster, and this coaching staff, and this front office has been very prepared for this to be an undetermined thing until he actually is suited up and playing“.

Harden was sorely mistaken if he thought he would play without putting in the work, having missed all the practice sessions. So, it all boiled down to Harden making up for lost time and staying back in Philly to get his body in shape for the season. The Sixers had made it clear that they wanted him to be “in concurrence with their ramp-up schedule.”

Harden has to put in the hours in order to get back on the court

From what it looks like, Harden cannot join the team on the court until he is physically ready. Jake spoke with someone from the Sixers who told him, “Well, he’s [Harden] thirty-four with a history of hamstring injuries. He hasn’t been with the team for ten days“.

Therefore, it makes sense from a medical point of view that he puts in the hours and condition his body for the games. After all, he has missed out on all the preseason games as well.

Also Read: James Harden Forced Out? Airport Security Gets Involved as Disgruntled Sixers Star Reportedly Barred From Boarding Flight

Harden is back in Philly for now, but his future with the Sixers doesn’t look so bad, as once he primes his body, it looks like he might be on the road with the team very soon. In fact, Harden had it easy because the Sixer waived the fines he would’ve otherwise paid for missing practice and the games without permission.

Hopefully, this puts an end to the Harden drama saga, and he shifts his focus to win instead.

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