Mateo’s Hoops Diary: Betting on the Beard

Over the weekend, James Harden touched down in Philadelphia, greeted by his leading enabler (Daryl Morey).   

Following the trade, Harden moved at a snail’s pace. He took all of the allowed 48 hours given to a swapped player before making his anticipated arrival in the city of brotherly love.  Clutch Points reported that he was in Houston “packing up” his belongings but that’s odd considering he played for Brooklyn.  It took him two days to get over to Philly so that he could complete his physical– meaning the trade was not officially complete, while missing a pair of games.

Perhaps he deserves some slack.  Harden missed the last few games as a Net with a hamstring injury, which according to coach Nash, was not serious enough for an MRI.

Surely, someone as resourceful as the Beard can arrange for his prized possessions to be handled with care in his absence. This leads me to speculate that his trip over to H-Town had more to do with adult extracurriculars than getting his home in order.  Maybe I’m wrong, but if the injury is as serious as reported, Hardy’s habitual night moves could potentially have serious implications.

Consumption of alcohol can raise an individual’s pain tolerance.  A hard night of clubbing could place unnecessary stress on the body, or worse, cause an accident that isn’t felt until later. Harden’s is no stranger to underworld excursions, evident by a banner hanging in his honor at Dreams strip club in Houston. 

Still, Harden got his wish.  At his introductory presser he revealed it was what he wanted all along.  Who could blame him?  Morey was fixated on getting Simmon’s out to Houston while Harden was still a Rocket, and who wouldn’t want to reunite with the boss that never held them accountable?  

As soon as Harden stepped off the charter, Morey figuratively gave him the keys to the castle.  The Beard won’t make his debut until after the All-Star break but while the 76ers await his recovery, that’s best cured by exotic dancers, Philly was clobbered at home by the Celtics by 48 on Tuesday.

Undeniably, the integration of the Beard into the lineup sharpens Philadelphia’s edge on offense in the halfcourt. Joel Embiid will have a pick and roll partner that forces the defender to go over the screen instead of tangling under with him.  Late in games, the 76ers won’t be plagued either playing 4-on-5 offensively because a defender cannot sag off Harden– for better or worse, he’s trigger happy from deep.  

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The pairing, strictly related to the court, should be a successful marriage.  Embiid and Harden are not perfect players.  If they could limit some of their bad habits, like Joel’s desire to take outside jumpers instead of assaulting the block, or the Beard’s overdribbling, then their biggest hurdle will be overcoming the burden that is coach Rivers.  

How long can it be before Harden and someone as petty and untrustworthy as Rivers are at each other’s throats?  Philly’s coach is a dude that reveals his real character whenever he feels some heat.  Last June, after the 76ers spoiled Game 7 at home, Rivers was asked if he thought Ben Simmons could be a point guard for a championship team.  All he could say was that he didn’t know the answer to the question.

If anyone deserves most of the blame for why Simmons wanted out, look no further than the head coach.  By not defending Ben when asked a tough question by a reporter, Rivers humiliated his player in front of the media in a recorded press conference.  Only a masochist would enjoy working for someone like that.  

Let’s take it back further to when Rivers coached the Orlando Magic.  Retired New York Post columnist and reporter Peter Vecsey explained on the Killin’ Me Smallz podcast, that behind the back of Darrell Armstrong, current assistant coach for the Dallas Mavericks since 2009, Judas, I mean Doc, approached Vecsey with material that he wanted to see printed.  Vecsey told him no way.  But if Doc got his wish, he would likely smile in Armstrong’s direction and pretend like he didn’t know where it came from.  

Aside from Rivers’ two facedness, when things go wrong on the court, the players are on their own.  Somehow, the man known for a lack of late game adjustments and recognized as the only instructor in NBA history to lead three teams that dropped a 3-1 advantage and took an L, was recently voted into the top 15 coaches of all-time list.  Throw in that record a few more defeats after being up 3-2 and another following a 2-0 lead.  

I’m just hoping the excuse for why this team didn’t win this year isn’t more time was needed for Embiid and Harden to mesh properly.