In just two games with the Philadelphia 76ers, superstar guard James Harden has demonstrated how dynamic and formidable the title-starved team can be once the Eastern Conference playoffs arrive.
Fully engaged and healthy, with his sudden departure from the Brooklyn Nets behind him, Harden resembled both a scorer and facilitator on Sunday against the New York Knicks. He recorded a triple-double in the Sixers' 125-109 win at Madison Square Garden, with 29 points, 16 assists, and 10 rebounds. The 32-year-old also came just two rebounds shy of a triple-double on Friday.
"It's been fantastic through two games. There's no reason why you should throw shade at them right now," NBA on TNT reporter Jared Greenberg told the Reiter Than You show on Monday. "You know when you're happy, when you enjoy your environment and people around you, you tend to be a better performer... That's what we've seen from not only Harden, but also Embiid. Clearly, Harden's style of play, so far, has been really good for Joel Embiid.
"I think the natural question is, will both those two remain to be happy. And the bigger, more pressing question is, will Harden remain healthy... You just have to wonder with the amount of miles he's put on his body and what he's doing in-season to ramp up at a speed most pro athletes aren't accustomed to, is that what's triggering these hamstring injuries. And is that going to be a problem this year."
Following the game on Sunday, Embiid -- who scored 37 points as one of the NBA's top MVP candidates -- described the new fit between him and Harden as "unstoppable." So far, it's an appropriate adjective, as the duo is averaging 63.5 points and 18.5 rebounds. Both stars also have a knack for drawing fouls. Embiid made a whopping 23 of 27 free throws against New York, while Harden went a perfect 10 for 10.
Philadelphia (37-23), which owns the third seed in the East's playoff picture, will host the Knicks on Wednesday. According to FiveThirtyEight projections, the Sixers currently have a 20-percent chance to reach the NBA Finals and a 10-percent chance to celebrate their first title since 1983. Harden is also the only player in NBA history with 25-plus points and 10-plus assists in each of his first two games with a team, per ESPN Stats & Info.
The entire NBA conversation between Greenberg and Reiter can be accessed in the audio player above.
You can follow the Reiter Than You show on Twitter @sportsreiter and @CBSSportsRadio, and Tom Hanslin @TomHanslin.