Hey, what else is new? The national talking heads have some negative things to say about the Sixers and their two superstars, Joel Embiid and James Harden. Though it may be an ultra-small two-game sample size, Harden is playing like the dude who won three scoring titles and led the league in assists during his last few seasons in Houston. Embiid is once again illustrating why he’s the best big man on the planet regardless of what that guy in Denver may be doing.
For Sixers fans, this is the most exciting the franchise has been in over two decades. Jason McIntrye of FOX Sports, however, is shutting down the idea that the Embiid and Harden pairing is something truly special.
Here's a transcript of what McIntrye had to say:
I really love this Sixers stuff, guys. I don’t know if you were on social media. Hopefully, you were not, spending weekends with your families, but I did see some bozos in Philadelphia posting photos of James Harden hugging Joel Embiid on the court and saying this is the new Kobe [Bryant]-[Shaquille O’Neal]. And I just lost it. I couldn’t stop laughing. I told my kids this is comical. Folks, listen. The reality is that these are two great regular season players, right? James Harden, an iconic regular season player. All he does in the playoffs is choke, kind of like his coach, Doc Rivers, the only coach to lose three 3-1 series in NBA history. And, Joel Embiid, ya know, he’s never been an alpha in the playoffs. He’s never been in a conference finals! Let that settle in. Hell no, the Sixers are not favorites in the East.
…
I’ll take it the next step. This is not even a top-five duo in the East when you got like Kyrie [Irving] and [Kevin Durant], who played great together. Jimmy Butler, who’s a great defender and Bam Adebayo. You go down the list Giannis [Antetokounmpo] and [Khris] Middleton, [Jaylen] Brown and [Jayson] Tatum. All these combos work better together. There’s going to be a rude awakening for Philly fans.
- MORE ON THE SIXERS
- Instant observations: Sixers beat Knicks with another Embiid and Harden masterclass
- Danny Green doesn't expect Ben Simmons to play in Sixers vs. Nets on March 10th
- What they're saying: James Harden's Sixers' debut was almost too good to be true
I’m concerned about McIntrye’s math skills, as he went out of his way to proclaim that the Sixers do not have one of the conference’s, not even the league’s, top-five duos, but only listed four other pairings in the East. Who else can he conceivably have over Embiid and Harden?
Here’s how I’d rank the best duos in the Eastern Conference alone:
1. Joel Embiid and James Harden
2. Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving
3. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton
4. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown
5. Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo
6. DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine
7. Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen
8. Fred VanVleet and Pascal Siakam
9. Trae Young and John Collins
10. LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges
Even if someone is being conservative and not putting the Embiid-Harden pairing in the top spot, how could anyone fathom leaving them outside of the top five? Who else, in a person’s wildest daydream, could unseat them from that upper tier? Jimmy Butler obviously has the Heat playing well, but it’s pretty stinking easy to put both Harden and Embiid over him and that’s before even getting to the drop-off that comes with adding Bam Adebayo to the mix. Fred VanVleet and Pascal Siakam? Really? Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen are blossoming in Cleveland and both made their first All-Star teams this season, but Cleveland would be getting a 99th percentile best outcome if those two even approached the level Harden and Embiid have played at through their respective careers.
You have to give Antetokounmpo and Middleton their flowers obviously given that they won the whole darn thing last year and because Antetokounmpo has two MVP awards and a Final MVP award to his name. That’s similarly the case with Durant and Irving. Durant is one of a handful of the greatest scorers of all time and won two rings with Golden State. Irving has won a championship and made perhaps the biggest shot in league history in the 2016 NBA Finals. I’m seriously trying to view things from a perspective other than that of a Philadelphian. I don’t understand how someone can make a case otherwise that the likes of Embiid and Harden are, what, the sixth-best duo in the Eastern Conference? They might be the best in the entire league!
Here’s an overall NBA duo ranking from yours truly:
1. Joel Embiid and James Harden
2. Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving
3. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton
4. Chris Paul and Devin Booker
5. Steph Curry and Andrew Wiggins
6. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown
7. Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo
8. DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine
9. Ja Morant and Desmond Bane
10. Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert
Look, I know McIntrye is doing his job and stirring the pot, but once the insults come flying for Philly people, you need to call out bozos for saying bozo things.
Follow Shamus & PhillyVoice on Twitter: @shamus_clancy | @thePhillyVoice
Like us on Facebook: PhillyVoice Sports
Add Shamus' RSS feed to your feed reader