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James Harden has had a disappointing start to the season compared to his high standards. He has averaged 17.3 points, 8.3 assists and seven rebounds to go along with 1.3 steals and one block.
Harden took over as the lead facilitator to help Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant excel in their roles as elite scorers. His presence helped combine KD and Kyrie's brilliant off-the-ball movement to work seamlessly with his elite court vision to devastating effect.
The Nets' big three were expected to steamroll most teams with effortless ease, with Harden taking over playmaking duties. But with Kyrie looking highly unlikely to suit up unless a drastic change occurs, it is imperative that Harden becomes more aggressive. The Nets will hope that he looks to score more than pass as to relieve Kevin Durant's burden on offense.
Right now Harden is shooting below his career average and that is not a good look for him or the Nets if it becomes a continued trend.
It's just the first four games but the alarm bells are already ringing. NBA analyst Nick Wright produced a scathing observation of James Harden's start to the season. During an appearance on FS1's First Things First, he drew the conclusion that it will be an uphill battle for The Beard to be an All-Star this season. That was considering the level he's playing at right now. Here is what Wright had to say:
I don't know if James Harden will be 'just fine.' And the Nets won't be fine unless James Harden great. He'll be better than he has been, because he's been awful through 4 games. Harden right now, is an uphill battle to look like an All-Star.
There are concerns surrounding Harden's passivity, and they are understandable. However, it was a bit of a reach by Wright to say that he would be in danger of missing out on being an All-Star. Wright seems to have drawn premature conclusions from Harden's numbers in the first four games of the season.
James Harden will bounce back sooner rather than later and continue to post mind-boggling numbers while looking to win his first NBA championship.
Can James Harden guide the Brooklyn Nets to an NBA Championship?
James Harden forced a trade to the Brooklyn Nets with one intention. That was to team up with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving to win the one thing missing in his first-ballot Hall-of-Fame worthy resume, an NBA championship.
Harden has always been an elite competitor and an offensive juggernaut. He elevates his level of play during the crunch times with massive performances and clutch shots to put his team in better positions to win on a consistent basis.
The Beard will finally have a co-star in KD who has the exact same capability but someone who has also won a championship. Durant is someone who can bring it home when a series is on the line or when they are in the finals.
With Kyrie Irving performing a Houdini act again, albeit for personal and moral reasons according to him, it would be highly necessary for Harden to step up. He will have to produce an all-time season if they are to win an NBA championship. Having said that, Brooklyn still has a good chance of coming home with the Larry O'Brien trophy without Kyrie's services.
Poll : Can James Harden win a title with Brooklyn this season?
Yes
No
65 votes
