Philadelphia 76ers: 3 reasons why it’s too early to panic over slow start

James Harden has looked good and healthy

Even though you can make an argument that the Philadelphia 76ers haven’t played a complete game so far this season, there have been spurts from the team that have to be considered encouraging. And specifically for a few different individual players – one of them happens to be James Harden.

During the first two games of the season, Harden scored 35 and 31 points respectively. Most recently against the Indiana Pacers, Harden scored 29. In the first two games, specifically, with Joel Embiid struggling to find his footing, Harden looked like his MVP self. He has looked spry, slimmer, and a lot more energetic – far more than he looked at any point during the postseason last year.

The big question with Harden, of course, is sustainability. He’s healthy now and looks like a player that is playing with something to prove. And after a disappointing performance in the playoffs last season, he does.

It’s a small sample size, but the early indications surrounding Harden are encouraging and that should only signal positive things for Philadelphia moving forward as the season progresses.