Why James Harden Is Enjoying Not Having To Be The Man For The Nets

When the Brooklyn Nets acquired James Harden two weeks ago in a blockbuster commerce with the Houston Rockets, the collective eyebrows of the basketball world raised.

There have been questions abound: Was Harden an excessive amount of of a ball hog to peacefully coexist with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving? How would the three superstars share one ball? And who was going to play protection?

The Nets are nonetheless a piece in progress with their new “Huge 3,” but when something, Harden has been too deferential in latest video games and hasn’t been taking pictures the ball sufficient.

In his first six video games with the Nets, his area objective makes an attempt per recreation, isolations per recreation and utilization proportion are all down considerably from his first six video games of final season with the Rockets, in response to ESPN.

Seems, this has all been a part of Harden’s grasp plan as he will get acclimated to his new crew: he desires to be extra of a facilitator and fewer of a ball-dominant guard, saving his scoring bursts for when he senses the crew wants them probably the most, resembling within the fourth quarter of the crew’s 98-85 win over the Warmth on Monday night time.

After taking simply six pictures coming into the fourth quarter, Harden made a step-back three-pointer, a driving layup, one other three and a 17-foot pullup jumper as a part of a 15-0 game-deciding run. He additionally drove the lane and penetrated on a play that ended with an Irving layup.

“Sure, that’s one of the best a part of it,” mentioned Harden, who completed with 20 factors on 7-of-10 taking pictures with eight assists and 4 rebounds. “I used to be in a task for eight years [in Houston], controlling the ball, dominating the ball. Now it’s a special expertise for me but it surely’s nonetheless nice.

“It’s nonetheless basketball on the finish of the day and I’m fortunate to have the ability to do multiple factor on the basketball courtroom. So it’s enjoyable, it’s a recreation throughout the recreation, you gotta choose and select when to be aggressive, when to let your shooters get going, when to let KD and Kyrie get going. And as soon as we get a rhythm and get a move and begin to really feel one another out extra, it’ll be lots simpler for us.”

Neither Durant, who shot 6-of-21 for 20 factors, or Irving, who shot 6-of-17 for 16, had been notably sizzling on this recreation, and appeared nice with Harden taking the sport over down the stretch after he had deferred for many of it.

“It does lots for us,” Durant mentioned. “We depend on him to make performs for us and simply be himself, regardless of the recreation presents you gotta be ready for it. And I feel tonight he got here with that scoring effort late within the recreation and he additionally created stuff for us along with his penetration.

“So any given night time it could possibly be anyone and tonight James was nice for us.”

Harden is main the NBA in assists at 10.8, with Luka Doncic the subsequent closest at 9.9.

Meantime, he ranks nineteenth in scoring at 24.0 factors per recreation, whereas Durant, getting back from Achilles surgical procedure, is second behind Bradley Beal at 30.4, whereas Irving is averaging 28.1.

Harden has picked his spots whereas acclimating to the Nets, who’re 11-8 total and 4-2 since he got here aboard.

With out Irving for the primary two video games, Harden went off for a 30-point triple-double in his Nets’ debut after which had a 34-point, 12-assist double-double in his second game without Irving.

When Irving return, Harden deferred and tried to get Kyrie concerned extra. Irving averaged 34.3 factors on 56.5 % taking pictures with 5.0 assists in his subsequent three video games enjoying alongside Harden. In Saturday’s 125-123 win over Miami, Irving was the person down the stretch, scoring 18 of his 28 factors within the fourth quarter.

“Whoever had the ball of their arms late within the recreation, we belief that they’re going to make the appropriate play,” Durant mentioned. “It is perhaps Ky subsequent recreation, it is perhaps me subsequent recreation, I feel that makes us unpredictable.”

Of Harden’s skill to sense what the crew wants and reply accordingly, Durant mentioned, “It’s like he transferred to a brand new faculty and he’s making an attempt to determine the curriculum.”

The Nets nonetheless rank twenty first within the NBA in defensive effectivity however on Monday they solely surrendered 85 factors.

“Our protection received us this recreation for certain,” Durant mentioned.

GM Sean Marks continues to be seeking to alter the roster by adding a defensive-minded big like Norvel Pelle. The Nets have additionally been linked to Javale McGee.

So the Nets could look totally different in a month from now.

Offensively, Harden continues to be studying his teammates and determining how and when to defer and when to take video games over. It’s a task he’s relishing in comparison with his time in Houston.

“I’m figuring it out, it’s solely been 5 video games and that’s what we now have a protracted season for,” Harden mentioned. “As soon as all of us discover that steadiness, our crew might be manner higher.”