5 Brooklyn Nets records that James Harden could break in the upcoming 2021-22 NBA season

#3 Assists per game

James Harden's superb passing skills will be highlighted more this season without Kyrie Irving

Kevin Porter dished out 10.8 assists per game in the 1977-78 season. In 36 games with the Brooklyn Nets last year, James Harden had 10.9 assists.

Per NBA stats, a player has to play 70% of his team’s games to qualify for such a record. Had it not been for the lack of games played, this record would have already been in the bag for Harden.

Head coach Steve Nash previously scattered James Harden’s and Kyrie Irving’s minutes on the floor to make sure that an elite playmaker would always be around to orchestrate the plays for the Brooklyn Nets. Without Irving, the primary playmaking duties will fall on the Beard.

James Harden is no stranger to being the guy running his team’s offensive engine. While playing with the Rockets, he led the team in assists in 6 out of 8 seasons. In the 2017-18 season, he had even more assists on a Rockets team that featured the Point God, Chris Paul, himself.

It would surprise no one if the Beard’s APG will skyrocket this season, considering that he is surrounded by Brooklyn Nets shooters and rim runners. KD, Joe Harris and Patty Mills playing at the same time as Harden will be a nightmare to defend.

Harden will have the luxury of racking up his assist totals with this kind of shooting almost every time he is on the floor. He already had 15 in one pre-season game in limited minutes against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

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#2 Total assists in a season

James Harden's assists are poised to go up this season for the Brooklyn Nets [Photo: FiveThirtyEight]

Based on James Harden’s huge potential in assists per game, his total assists in a season are also expected to go up. In 2016-17, when Harden won the assists-per-game title with 11.2 APG, he ended the campaign with 907 dishes in total.

Jason Kidd, the new head coach of the Dallas Mavericks, is the record-holder for the Nets, with 808 in total during the 2001-2002 season. The then-New Jersey Nets, behind an entertaining running game featuring Richard Jefferson, Kenyon Martin and Kerry Kittles, were deadly on the break, with Kidd giving pinpoint passes.

It’s safe to say that this version of the Brooklyn Nets has a lot more talent and shooting skills than the Houston Rockets team James Harden played on. The record for total assists in a season for the Nets could be another one that the former NBA MVP could reset.

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#1 Triple doubles in a season

Despite the triple-doubles, James Harden of the Brooklyn Nets is still underrated as a rebounder [Photo: Heavy.com]

In 2006-07, when Jason Kidd finished with 12 triple-doubles to hold the record for most in a season for the Nets franchise, he played a total of 80 games.

The following year, Kidd registered the same total, but it was time split between the Nets and the Dallas Mavericks. Last year, in only 36 games for the Brooklyn Nets, James Harden totaled the same statistical score.

The 12 triple-doubles by Harden for the Brooklyn Nets represented a spectacular 33.33% of his games. With a full training camp, pre-season and without Kyrie Irving, Harden is bound to shatter the record he currently shares with Jason Kidd.

The triple-double is supposedly the most difficult stat to hit because as the de facto point guard of the Brooklyn Nets, James Harden would have to spend a majority of his time on the perimeter. However, where he is at on the court has never really mattered based on his past games. He has a knack for the ball that allows him to get those rebounds while mainly staying outside the paint.

James Harden could be the holder of several franchise single-season records when all is said and done for the Brooklyn Nets this year.