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James Harden just isn’t involved about scoring the ball at a excessive clip as he continues to get acclimated with the Nets, taking part in alongside Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving … whereas attempting to determine issues out with out stepping on too many toes.
Harden has served because the workforce’s most important facilitator in his 5 video games in a Nets uniform up to now. Since his arrival to Brooklyn, Harden hasn’t had the luxurious of follow time to construct familiarity and cohesion between himself and his teammates however is getting a strong really feel of the workforce whereas feeling very assured studying on the fly.
“I’m very assured, particularly with this group and what we’re able to,” Harden stated. “We haven’t had a lot time to follow, which we hold saying, however I believe studying on the fly and studying whereas we’re profitable is clearly good.”
There’s no secret that his function as a Web is vastly completely different than his function as a Houston Rocket. Harden wanted to attain at a excessive clip for Houston to gather wins, though his stats are very comparable in his 13 video games performed this season break up between the 2 franchises. In Houston, he averaged 24.8 factors, 10.4 assists and 5.1 rebounds with a taking pictures line of 44/35/88 whereas his Brooklyn numbers are 23.6 factors, 12.0 assists and eight.0 rebounds with a taking pictures line of 44/33/88. Regardless of conditioning considerations, he’s averaging 5 minutes extra per sport with the Nets.
When requested concerning the function change and calls for, Harden deemed it not a lot of a change however appreciates he doesn’t have to at all times rating at excessive clips with the Nets, contemplating the expertise round him.
“It’s not actually a change in any respect. It feels good to not have to attain a lot to present ourselves an opportunity to win the sport,” Harden stated about scoring. “I can simply go on the market and be a playmaker and shoot my shot as soon as it’s accessible and nonetheless get guys concerned to nonetheless have an opportunity to win the sport. That could be a change however for me, it’s simply being the participant I’m. Impacting the sport in different methods than scoring and being the very best participant I could be when I’m out on the court docket.”
After scoring 66 factors in his first two video games as a Web, his scoring manufacturing has dropped. Harden has averaged solely 17.3 factors within the Nets’ final three video games, taking pictures 44 p.c total and 32.5 p.c from deep. In Saturday’s win over the Miami Heat, Harden was not a lot of a scoring issue however pulled gravity. He dished out 11 assists in 38 minutes of play. He discovered methods to interrupt into Miami’s zone protection, attending to the lane, and threading a number of needles.
Following the confidence-building win, Steve Nash credited Harden’s facilitating, discovering methods to contribute at a excessive stage desipte little familiarity with the Nets with that lack of follow time.
“The place he’s invaluable is playmaking abilities for us,” Nash stated. “So typically, he discovered guys for layups or wide-open 3s and created and distorted the protection.
“He discovered guys for layups or wide-open threes and created and distorted the protection. “So he wasn’t himself, taking pictures the ball, and I believe he’s nonetheless attempting to get himself into form. That was a tricky little week for him — three video games in 4 nights, together with double additional time. So, I believe, hats off to him for locating a option to contribute when his shot wasn’t going and his legs weren’t there — he nonetheless made plenty of performs for his workforce.”
The 31-year-old is aware of he could be extra aggressive on the offensive finish however focuses extra on getting his shooters pictures, his large males finishes on the rim and hopefully offering useful protection.
“I simply wish to are available and get a really feel for what’s going on. Clearly, I could be extra aggressive offensively however we obtained greater than sufficient scorers and guys that may put the ball within the basket,” Harden stated. “I simply obtained to choose and select my spots, which I really feel like I’m doing okay however facilitating, getting guys pictures, getting bigs finishes on the rim, and simply attempting to be strong defensively.”
Whereas Harden progressively absorbs familiarity along with his teammates, he does have the belief from Durant, who performed with Harden for 3 seasons in Oklahoma Metropolis. Durant stated it simply depends upon what lineups are out on the court docket and gaining familiarity with completely different teams to convey out the very best between the 2.
“Belief is already there, I believe,” Durant stated. “I believe simply the familiarity with one another is there already. We performed with one another and know one another’s video games for the final decade. It’s only a matter of what performs we’re going to run at sure occasions with lineups we’re going to have on the market.
Harden has break up minutes between the 1 (56 p.c) and the two (44 p.c). He definitely is getting examined thus far, taking part in 41.4 minutes a sport and elevating his league-high common to a 38.2.
Regardless of solely taking part in 5 video games, it didn’t take lengthy for Harden to crack into the Nets’ historical past books – changing into the primary Web since Deron Williams (2010-11) to report a factors/assists double-double in 5 straight video games and the primary Nets since Jason Kidd to report a number of triple-doubles in a season. Kidd holds the Nets report in that class with 12.
Ought to or not it’s a lot of a shock? Not when you verify Harden’s profession. 4 years in the past, he led the NBA in assists at 11.2 per sport whereas nonetheless scoring 29.2 factors (and grabbing 8.1 boards). In different phrases, anticipate extra of the identical.
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