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James Harden and the Brooklyn Nets are 4-3 in the young NBA season. After a dramatic preseason that saw the Brooklyn Nets lose Kyrie Irving to Covid restrictions, Harden has eased his way into regaining the super stats we're accustomed to seeing with The Beard.
That started on Halloween, when Harden recorded his first triple-double of the season in a win over the Detroit Pistons. His 18 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists were rather pedestrian given Harden's incredible triple-doubles of the past, yet with everything going on with the Brooklyn Nets's offense, the numbers mean Harden is thoroughly engaged for the first time this season to a consistent measure. As The Beard gets it all back after a summer of rehabbing a grade 2 hamstring strain, look for the Brooklyn Nets to go on a tear offensively.
Let's analyze James Harden to see if his season is taking a turn for the better.
There have been many big guards over the years who lost a step after suffering some sort of leg injury, yet few of them carried the responsibility of taking a franchise into a new and expected winning era. When James Harden went down with a hamstring injury in the playoffs, the Brooklyn Nets had no shot to defeat a Milwaukee Bucks team hungry for validation. After a summer of rehab and with the hamstring injury healed, yet Harden was not in shape as the season began and despite the absence of Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant and Harden are expected to dominate teams with no excuses in tow.
Harden has always been laidback, so his answers to any press questions were nonchalant in nature. As time goes by and the losses mount, such a laissez faire attitude could eventually be cornered and criticized. The only recourse to casting critical media questions aside is to perform appropriately.
Halloween triple-double
James Harden is the Brooklyn Nets's career leader in triple-doubles with 13. He is tied with Boston Celtics's legend Larry Bird for 7th on the all-time list with 59, so the triple-double itself was no shock, but one NBA fans have come to expect of Harden. He's had monster triple-doubles over his career, and the one he had on New Year's Eve in 2016 was almost unbelievable: 53 points, 17 assists and 16 rebounds. He shot 14-26 from the field and 9-16 from the arc that night. An 18-12-10 Oscar (triple-double) is seen as a feat for most players, yet for Harden some may see it as an off night. Nevertheless, it's a start.
#3 When The Beard is in his bag, Brooklyn will figure it out
Having such a reliable superstar running the point gives Harden's teammates reassurance. The Beard is capable of taking over games, whether off isolation or in offensive sets, where the ball is moved around and ends up in his or Durant's hands for the score. Harden's usage rate peaked at 40.5 in 2018 and currently is 27.8. By contrast, Durant's usage rate this season is 31.1 and consistent with his career. Durant's peaked at 32.9 when he averaged 32 points per game. James Harden's assists are down from 10.8 of last season to 8.6 early this year, and the usage rate suggests that Durant has the ball more in his hands to make a play that scores the basket.
That is the paradox of having two gifted scorers on the floor at the same time, and it is up to Harden to find a fluid way to both score and get the ball to others more efficiently. Looks like that is a hopeful trend about to transpire.
#2 Last two games
James Harden has been +36 in the last two games. Besides the aforementioned Halloween triple-double, on 10/29, Harden put up a more normal (for him) nightly numbers of 29 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists. He was 3-6 from deep and hit 16-19 on the charity stripe. That has to be encouraging for Nets fans as the Nets prepare to face Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks on November 3rd. The game will be televised by ESPN, so Harden has a shot to dispel all concerns regarding his game and fitness with a healthy performance before the NBA world. Fans will be watching as the conversation surrounding the Nets will be analyzed in depth by ESPN announcers pre-game and throughout.
#1 The method to his madness
It appears that Harden allows the game to come to him as the Nets figure it all out and potentially run roughshod on opponents hearing all the criticism of Harden. Will they underestimate the 9-time NBA All-Star who is a former MVP, 6th Man of the Year and 3-time scoring champ? That would be a critical error. Some players move at their own pace and time, and as long as an uptick in execution from Harden is evident, no one should have a problem with a player who has proven to be a quick twitch stat sheet stuffer. Expect a big game from Harden on Wednesday, and if that possibility comes to the fore, the convos about the Nets will subside accordingly. It is all up to El Chapo, and if the Nets are to achieve any of their goals this season, Harden just has to be himself, and everything will fall smoothly into place.
Also Read: Who is James Harden's girlfriend, Jessyka Janshel?
