[ad_1]
The Brooklyn Nets‘ blockbuster commerce for James Harden has labored out very effectively for them up to now this season. Harden is steadily placing up MVP numbers on a group that does not want him to be the only real supply of offense, and Brooklyn is sitting in second place within the East heading into the All-Star break, only a half sport behind the Philadelphia 76ers.
For the Houston Rockets, regardless of nonetheless shedding and sure staring down a rebuild, they had been in a position to work out a three-team commerce that landed them a younger star in Victor Oladipo, who might or is probably not round previous his present contract that expires after this season. No matter how this commerce appears to be like in the long run, there’s at all times going to be what ifs surrounding the deal — what would’ve occurred had the Rockets dealt Harden to the Sixers for Ben Simmons, or to the Boston Celtics for a package deal of Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart?
Nonetheless, former Boston Celtics ahead and three-time NBA All-Star Antoine Walker says Danny Ainge and the Celtics made the appropriate name in not pulling the set off on a Harden commerce.
“I am not a James Harden man, and it isn’t private however you possibly can’t win with that type,” Walker stated throughout an look on the “All Things Covered” podcast with Patrick Peterson and Bryant McFadden. “He is in a really distinctive state of affairs with [Kevin] Durant and Kyrie [Irving], nevertheless it stays to be seen … I do not assume you possibly can win together with his type. Any time it takes a man six, seven, eight dribbles to get to the place he has to go, that is an issue. It really works at the moment as a result of it is extra of a pick-and-roll league, so he will get away with numerous issues now, however I’d not leverage my future for James Harden.”
Walker definitely is not the primary former participant or NBA analyst to not love Harden’s type of ball-dominant play and foul looking, however it might probably’t be denied what he is doing in Brooklyn. Whereas Harden’s scoring numbers have taken a small dip, as a result of the truth that he is enjoying alongside two different All-Stars and NBA champions, he is having essentially the most environment friendly capturing yr of his profession.
Harden’s on the cusp of a 50/40/90 season, capturing 49.7 p.c from the sector, 42.2 p.c from deep and 85 p.c from the free-throw line. He is additionally averaging a profession excessive in assists (11.4) and rebounds (7.8), all whereas experiencing the bottom utilization charge of his profession since his remaining season with the Thunder again in 2012.
To Walker’s credit score, although, he wasn’t shy when speaking about Boston’s faults regardless of crediting the group for not going after Harden.
“The place Danny Ainge made a mistake is he let Gordon Hayward stroll out the door with out getting something in return for him,” Walker stated. “If you understand you possibly can’t pay him, it’s important to do a sign-and-trade and get a professional huge. I believe they need to’ve went after Dwight Howard a lot tougher, and you might’ve in all probability traded for Andre Drummond and added him to the group.”
He isn’t incorrect. Whereas the Celtics have had an up-and-down season and have not regarded just like the group that made it to the Jap Convention finals final yr, Hayward is having the most effective season of his profession. He is placing up 21.5 factors, 5.4 rebounds and three.9 assists, whereas capturing 48.7 p.c from the sector and 40.5 p.c from deep as a member of the Charlotte Hornets. His play — in addition to the performances from Terry Rozier and rookie LaMelo Ball — have made the Hornets, presently tied for sixth place within the East, one of the thrilling groups this season.
The Celtics, in the meantime, sit in fourth place, and after a three-game shedding streak to a few sub-.500 groups (on the time), Boston has turned it round with three consecutive wins. Nonetheless, an 18-17 file will not be what many had in thoughts for this group earlier than the season began. Whereas Walker might imagine Harden is not value leveraging a group’s future, he positive has panned out extremely effectively for the Nets up to now.
There’s nonetheless loads of basketball left to be performed, however Brooklyn appears to be like like the largest risk within the East, whereas Boston appears to be like like a fringe contender that also wants one other piece to get again within the championship dialog.
[ad_2]
Source link
