James Harden needed just one playoff run to fully vindicate the 76ers

The Philadelphia 76ers, already booted out of the playoffs and all, probably never even expected to get any kind of validation from the teams still in the running for the championship. However, they received just that due to the Cleveland Cavaliers, which are now on the brink of elimination thanks in large part to the underwhelming showings they have gotten from former Sixers star James Harden.

Harden has been far from remarkable in his first playoff run with the Cavaliers. While his numbers appear to be his regular ones, his efficiency has taken a major hit, and his turnovers have become a huge headache. These have greatly contributed to Cleveland suddenly staring at an 0-3 deficit, and everyone knows that no team has ever gone back from that pit.

Well, the 76ers saw that coming from a mile away. While there is no arguing that Harden will go down as one of the best players of all time, especially at the shooting guard position, his playoff resume feels sorely lacking compared to his pedigree in the regular season. He has not been able to flip the script this time around, on a new team at that.

The 76ers get vindicated as James Harden and the Cavs are on the verge of elimination

Cleveland was in great position to put the blender on New York in Game 1, leading by as much as 17 in the fourth quarter. However, the Knicks managed to stage a furious comeback late in the final frame, and simply outclassed the Cavaliers in overtime to take control of the series. From thereon, they never looked back.

Harden has struggled immensely through Games 1 to 3. He has averaged just 17.3 points, five rebounds, and 3.3 assists during that stretch, draining a meager 41.3 percent of his shots and a ghastly 22.7 percent of his three-point tries. Worse, he has turned the ball over four times a night.

On the defensive end, he has not done much either. While he is a better stopper than people give him credit for, he has been completely MIA against New York. His effort has been lackluster, and alongside his teammates, he simply looks finished in the Conference Finals.

Things like these were not as frequent when he was still with the 76ers, but they definitely occurred during the most striking times. He was one of the biggest reasons why Philly never even made it past the semis when he was still with the team, as his tendency to not show up prevailed time and time again.

Now, the Cavaliers are the ones reeling from the effects of Harden-itis. Well, this only vindicates the 76ers to be brutally frank.