The National Basketball Association is looking into James Harden’s absence from Thursday’s matchup with the Milwaukee Bucks. It has to do with the new NBA rule on player engagement. And on Wednesday, after being out for 10 days to deal with a personal problem, Harden rejoined the club.
Even though Harden is healthy and a recent All-Star, the Sixers must explain why he isn’t participating in Philadelphia’s nationally televised game versus Milwaukee, according to sports betting news reports.
ESPN’s Bobby Marks tweets about top players being sidelined for nationally broadcast games due to injury, personal reasons, or exceptional circumstances. Harden is not hurt, per se. However, Marks points out that he is not in game form after missing 10 days of practice with the team.
Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report writes that the Sixers were caught off guard by Harden’s return to Philadelphia on Wednesday. Team executives advised Harden to skip the first two games and stay in Philadelphia to reacclimate with the squad.
James Harden’s No-Show Against the Bucks
According to bookie pay per head solution experts, the star guard went to the airport after practice to catch the team plane. However, a security official stopped him and told him he was not allowed to join the squad. Harden misunderstood team officials’ statements as a recommendation rather than a requirement.
The 10-time All-Star left the airport upset, with his camp believing the Sixers were trying to eliminate a possible distraction. However, the team insists on prioritizing his preparation for game action, per Haynes.
Despite rumors emerging on Wednesday that the Clippers were stopping their chases of the star guard, Harden hasn’t changed his trade request, according to Haynes. Philadelphia officials are holding out hope that things can be controlled, but Haynes advises keeping a watch on how this impacts star center Joel Embiid and coach Nick Nurse. Haynes said that clubs are watching to see how much of an impact Embiid can have on the court.
During the NBA season, ensure you know how to make basketball more profitable for your sportsbook. We recommend reading bookie tutorials to optimize your operation.
Start a bookie business with SBPPH.com today!
