The Philadelphia 76ers were one of the biggest winners at the 2022 NBA trade deadline. After successfully acquiring All-Star shooting guard James Harden from the Brooklyn Nets, the Sixers have turned from an average playoff team into one of the heavy favorites to fully dominate the Eastern Conference and win the NBA championship title in the 2021-22 NBA season. Since adding Harden, the Sixers have won seven of their last nine games. As of now, they are sitting in the No. 3 spot in the Eastern Conference with a 42-26 record.
Nightmare Team To Face In 2022 NBA Playoffs
However, despite having the superstar duo of Harden and Joel Embiid, the Sixers' road to the 2022 NBA Finals isn't expected to be easy, especially with the emergence of numerous powerhouse teams in the Eastern Conference.
In a recent article, Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report talked about every projected NBA playoff team's "nightmare matchup." For the Sixers, Swartz believes it's the Nets. The Nets may still need to participate in the play-in tournament to reach the 2022 NBA Playoffs, but Swartz thinks the Sixers should avoid facing them in the early rounds of the postseason.
Revenge Factor Against James Harden
Swartz cited the revenge factor against the "The Beard" as a "key concern" for the Sixers. The Nets almost emptied their collection of precious trade assets last summer with the hope that forming a "Big Three" of Harden, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Durant would help them end their title drought.
Unfortunately, after they struggled in the first half of the 2021-22 NBA season due to the frequent absences of Irving and Durant, Harden started to doubt the Nets' capability to win, making him decide to demand a trade to the Sixers. After what Harden did to them, Swartz believes that the Nets would be more inspired to beat the Sixers in the 2022 NBA Playoffs.
Nets' Familiarity With James Harden
Aside from the revenge factor, the Nets' familiarity with Harden's game could also be a major factor in their potential matchup with the Sixers. In the Nets' 129-100 blowout victory against the Sixers, they managed to limit Harden's production on the offensive end of the floor.
"While Harden has played extremely well with the Sixers following his trade from Brooklyn (22.3 points, 11.2 assists, 7.3 rebounds, 1.3 steals, 44.4 percent from three), he struggled mightily in the first game against his old teammates," Swartz wrote. "Shooting just 3-of-17 overall (including 0-of-10 from inside the arc) for his 11 points in Philly, having to go on the road up to three times in Brooklyn is going to make for a not-so-friendly environment for the star guard."
Ben Simmons' Return
It's worth noting that when the Nets dismantled the Sixers in their latest face-off, Ben Simmons didn't play. There are still some major concerns regarding Simmons' physical and mental health but if he could return to perfect shape and regain his confidence on the court, he would undoubtedly be a huge help for the Nets when they face the Sixers in the 2022 NBA Playoffs. As one of the best defenders in the league, Coach Steve Nash could give Simmons the task to guard Harden or Embiid.
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