James Harden and Steve Nash take NBA awards for February

James Harden and Steve Nash had been named the Japanese Convention Participant and Coach of the Month respectively for February. It marked solely the fourth time the Nets had ever swept the classes, and the primary since 2007.

The others Nets duos to brush the awards had been Lawrence Frank and Vince Carter in April 2007 — the final time any Web participant received the award — Frank and Kenyon Martin (February 2004), and Byron Scott and Jason Kidd (December 2002).

Contemplating each the megatrade for Harden in January and signing of the unproven Nash within the offseason had been every thought-about gambles in its personal approach, it was validation for each selections. Normal supervisor Sean Marks famous how he may see Nash’s development as a coach in his first yr on the job.

“Numerous enchancment,” Marks stated on YES Community. “And I feel he’d be the primary to say I’ve a protracted option to go. We speak very often about the place can he get higher, what can we do to assist one another and so forth. However I’ve been thrilled.”

Nash is the fifth Nets coach to earn the award, and the primary since Kidd in March 2014. He led Brooklyn to an Japanese Convention-best 9-4 file final month, and conference-best 5-2 street mark. And Nash did it with Kevin Durant lacking 12 video games, already dominated out for Wednesday’s tilt at Houston.

Whereas Harden and Mike D’Antoni will get their respective returns to face the Rockets, it appears Jeff Inexperienced could not. Inexperienced spent the latter levels of final season in Houston taking part in underneath D’Antoni, however he’s uncertain to play Wednesday with a proper shoulder contusion.

Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot can be uncertain with proper knee soreness. Durant will miss his ninth straight sport with a left hamstring pressure.

Rookie ahead Reggie Perry is out on G-League task, however with Lengthy Island formally eradicated from playoff competition, it bears watching what the Nets do once they return from the All-Star break on March 11, particularly with Nic Claxton rising so shortly.

Claxton enters Wednesday coming off a career-high 17 factors in 17 minutes in opposition to San Antonio. He shot 7 of 9 from the ground, had three blocks and shook off not solely having his left ankle rolled on however a shot to the face.

“The sport, it’s slowing down. My first sport particularly, every thing was … I used to be like, ‘Oh my gosh.’ However I needed to decelerate and simply have enjoyable,” Claxton stated. “I really like the sport of basketball, in order that’s what I informed myself. I’ve simply obtained to go on the market and have enjoyable and that’s what I’ve been doing these previous few video games.You see the outcomes and I stay up for persevering with to construct.”

Nets and Liberty co-owner Clara Wu Tsai was named a “Champion of Justice” by the John Jay School of Legal Justice. The spouse of Nets proprietor Joe Tsai, she was honored for her function in serving to create and fund the REFORM Alliance — aiming to reform the legal justice system — and establishing a $50 million Social Justice Fund for Brooklyn’s Black, Indigenous, and Folks of Coloration.