James Harden hasn’t ‘really been watching’ Sixers, but is unsurprised by Tyrese Maxey’s hot start

NEW YORK — James Harden claims he has not “really been watching” the 76ers’ 4-1 start to the regular season, even though the previously disgruntled point guard was in and out of preseason practices with his former team for much of the last month before being traded to the Los Angeles Clippers last week.

Yet Harden maintains his high expectations for Tyrese Maxey, who has flourished so far as the Sixers’ lead guard.

» READ MORE: Despite hot start, Nick Nurse wants to see more aggression from Tyrese Maxey

Maxey tied a career high with 10 assists Saturday in a win over the Phoenix Suns, and bounced back from a rough first half to finish with 22 points on 9-of-18 shooting from the floor. Through five games, Maxey is averaging 26.2 points on 48.9% shooting, along with 6.6 assists and 5.2 rebounds per game, while spearheading a Sixers offense that entered Sunday ranked fifth in the NBA in efficiency with 117.3 points per 100 possessions. Maxey, who was named Eastern Conference player of the week on Monday, has credited Harden with instilling confidence in him and helping improve his court vision.

“I can only expect great things from Tyrese, just because of the amount of work I know he puts in,” Harden said Sunday afternoon from the Clippers’ team hotel in Manhattan. “He’s in the gym. He loves it, so the results are going to happen for him in a great way. I’m excited for him.

“Hopefully, he can have an opportunity to make an All-Star team and really show his game. I’m definitely excited for his growth and his maturity.”

Harden, meanwhile, confirmed Sunday that he will “definitely” make his Clippers (and 2023-24 season) debut Monday night against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.

Harden said he has spent the last few days poring over film to learn the Clippers’ plays. He scrimmaged twice earlier this week and said his body feels “really good.” That echoed Sixers coach Nick Nurse’s comments about Harden earlier this week, when he emphasized that the former MVP “was in shape, worked extremely hard, was extremely professional while he was here. And he looked awesome. He really did. … It just never kind of got to the game part of it all.”

Now, the Clippers’ task is to integrate Harden with fellow stars Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and Russell Westbrook — who could all start together. Coach Tyronn Lue said Sunday that Westbrook will be the primary point guard when he and Harden share the floor, moving Harden more off the ball. That comes days after Harden drew outside criticism — or raised eyebrows, at least — at his introductory press conference for his “I’m not a ‘system player.’ I am a system” comments while adding that he felt as if he was on a “leash” while playing for the Sixers.

“We all, not need the ball, but we are all very, very good with the basketball,” Harden said of those three standout teammates. “Luckily for me, these last few years, I’ve been having to play off the ball a little bit more. So it’s a game-by-game, step-by-step [process]. I think we’re building to be really good in the postseason.”

» READ MORE: Covington relishes ‘surreal’ return to Sixers in victory against Phoenix Suns

When asked if this is now his best opportunity to win a title — which also was theoretically the case with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, Brooklyn Nets and Sixers — Harden did not directly answer the question. Instead, he went back to the “sacrifice” buzzword he has previously used to describe taking a pay cut with the Sixers in the 2022 offseason and while leading the league in assists (10.7 per game) last season.

“The sacrifices that I’ve made have shown that I’m trying to win a championship and I’d love to,” Harden said. “But there’s a lot of different things that come with that. First of all, you have to be really good as a team. And then the injury and the [health] aspect of it, as well, it’s all a part of it.

“Just going into the postseason, if we can have those ready, we’ve got a chance and we let everything fall where it’s supposed to.”