James Harden openly accepting facilitator role with Nets has propelled Brooklyn’s offense to historic start

Over the course of his profession, James Harden has established a fame as the most effective scorers that the NBA has ever seen. He is scored over 20,000 profession factors, is second all-time in Houston Rockets historical past in whole factors scored (behind solely Hakeem Olajuwon), and has led the league in scoring on three separate events. Throughout his tenure in Houston, Harden additionally garnered a fame for enjoying a dribble-heavy, isolation fashion of ball that resulted in a variety of shot makes an attempt for Harden, and a variety of standing round for his teammates. 

It is for these causes that there was concern, and questions, about chemistry when Harden was traded to a Brooklyn Nets staff that already had two elite offensive gamers that thrive with the ball of their fingers in Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. How would three ball-dominant stars all coexist on the court docket?

In the end, the Nets will solely be judged on how they carry out within the postseason, however to say that the early outcomes have been promising could be an understatement. Within the 10 video games since Harden first suited up in a Nets uniform, the Nets have posted an offensive score of 121.0, which might be by far one of the best of all-time if sustained over a whole season. For comparability sake, the Dallas Mavericks posted an offensive score of 115.9 final season, and that was a file. Brooklyn’s protection throughout that very same span has been traditionally unhealthy, however that is a special story for an additional article. 

A giant a part of the explanation that Brooklyn has been capable of finding a lot early success on the offensive finish is that Harden has brazenly accepted a facilitator function. As a substitute of coming in and gunning, like he did with the Rockets, Harden has allowed his scoring to take a backseat to his playmaking in Brooklyn. With the Nets, Harden is averaging 24.1 factors per recreation — a sizeable dip from his previous three seasons in Houston when he averaged 34.3, 36.1, and 30.4 factors per efficiency. The 15.4 area purpose makes an attempt per recreation he is averaging with the Nets is his lowest output since his remaining season in Oklahoma Metropolis in 2011-12.

On the flip facet, Harden is averaging a career-best 12 assists per recreation with the Nets — a mark that leads the league — as Harden has embraced the concept of being the table-setter for his different gifted teammates. In consequence, Durant has averaged 32.3 factors per recreation since Harden joined the Nets, and Irving has averaged 29.4. As one of the vital achieved scorers that the sport has ever seen, Harden may have come into Brooklyn demanding ample shot makes an attempt, however as a substitute, he has centered on the opposite facets of his recreation which have helped Brooklyn within the win column. 

“Simply coming to this staff [after] clearly main the league in scoring the previous couple of years, not many gamers can simply swap up their whole recreation and concentrate on different issues,” Harden said of his approach in Brooklyn earlier this week. “Not many gamers can, however simply me I do know the roster, I do know what we now have on this staff, and scoring is not all the things. 

“I attempt to impression the sport in different methods, I attempt to get my shooters concerned. Clearly, Kevin [Durant] and Kyrie [Irving] get them simpler seems once they can. Get our bigs simple touches across the rim. After which defensively simply getting after it. Take it upon a problem. Whoever coach makes me guard that evening, take that as a problem and make it robust on them each single evening. So it isn’t about factors for me, it isn’t about stats for me. It is about getting the win. I feel since I have been right here I’ve tried to do no matter it takes to ensure that us to get a win, and that is all that issues.” 

It isn’t every single day {that a} participant that has led the league in scoring a number of instances brazenly accepts a job as a facilitator whereas he is nonetheless within the midst of his prime. However Harden, who has gained a plethora of particular person awards over the course of his profession, has clearly put his ego apart for the general good of the staff in Brooklyn, a minimum of thus far.

“I simply need to are available and get a really feel for what is going on on,” Harden said after a Nets victory over the Heat late final month. “Clearly, I could possibly be extra aggressive offensively, however we now have greater than sufficient scorers and guys that may put the ball within the basket. Simply received to choose and select my spots, which I really feel like I am doing OK. However facilitating, getting guys photographs, getting our bigs finishes on the rim, and simply making an attempt to be stable defensively is what I am making an attempt to do.”

Plus, it isn’t like Harden is not scoring. No, he is not placing up factors with the breakneck tempo that he did in Houston, however he is nonetheless placing the ball within the basket. Now, it is only a matter of choosing his spots, as he mentioned. Harden has had three 30-point performances since becoming a member of Brooklyn, and he is really main the Nets in fourth quarter scoring (he is averaging 8.8 factors per recreation within the fourth, whereas Durant and Irving are each averaging 8.5). 

That tells you that whereas Harden is doing a stable job of getting open alternatives for his teammates over the course of contests to get them going, he is nonetheless greater than able to taking good care of the scoring on his personal within the guts of video games. It is a good factor for Brooklyn, as they definitely don’t desire Harden to serve strictly as a facilitator, and they’d be remiss to not benefit from Harden’s monumental offensive arsenal. There simply must be a stability, and thus far that is precisely what has occurred. 

Whereas the early outcomes have been very encouraging, the pattern dimension remains to be method too small to crown the Nets as something aside from a particularly intriguing potential contender at this cut-off date. Earlier than any coronation happens, the Nets must proceed their present promising play over the rest of the common season and effectively into postseason play (the staff clearly must iron out some points on the defensive finish within the meantime). Nonetheless, early issues about chemistry, or that there would not be sufficient photographs to go round for Brooklyn’s three stars, have been largely quelled because of Harden’s unselfish, pass-first method together with his new franchise.