James Harden set to make 76ers debut on Friday: Will it work in Philly?

James Harden will finally get the chance to prove the trade was worth it in his Philadelphia 76ers debut on Friday against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The city of Philadelphia doesn’t have to wait any longer. It’s time for James Harden’s 76ers debut.

The blockbuster trade that sent Ben Simmons to Brooklyn and made Harden a Sixer happened two weeks ago. The All-Star has been sidelined by a hamstring injury, however.

Now, Harden is good to go and the date for his debut has been set.

James Harden will make his 76ers debut on Friday

According to Shams Charania, Harden will take the court for the 76ers for the first time on Friday against the Timberwolves.

He last played on Feb. 2 for the Nets against the Kings. In 37 minutes he managed just four points but delivered 12 assists. He has reached double-digit assist figures in each of his last five appearances.

Philadelphia gave up a lot to bring in Harden, so the microscope will be on him, his hamstring and his chemistry with Joel Embiid.

In an ideal world, Harden and Embiid will be able to play off of each other. Both will draw defenders to them when they have the ball. The other should be able to benefit from that greatly.

Of course, there’s always a question of fit, stylistically and in terms of personality. Harden has had relationships fall apart at previous NBA stops. Embiid hasn’t had a superstar partner taking attention off of him. The two will have to keep things flowing on and off the court for this partnership to pan out.

So will it work out for Harden in Philadelphia? A championship has to be the goal, and that is never a certainty. Right now, the important thing is getting him healthy and working in concert with Embiid before the playoffs come calling.

As they say, it’s a process.