James Harden Has Brought Leadership And Accountability To Surging Brooklyn Nets

Kyrie Irving was struggling together with his shot, and Brooklyn Nets rookie coach Steve Nash sensed that his star guard might use some phrases of encouragement. 

The Houston Rockets have been mounting a run late within the third quarter of Brooklyn’s remaining recreation earlier than the All-Star break, and Irving was simply 4-for-14 from the sector at that juncture. So Nash known as timeout, put his hand on Irving’s shoulder, and had a pep discuss together with his star guard. 

“I used to be simply checking in with him, ensuring he’s OK, ensuring he’s in the suitable mind set,” Nash would later inform reporters. “It’s form of just like the final day of college, it’s arduous to focus.”

Irving responded to Nash’s supportive message — seemingly an indication of progress in what has seemed to be a rocky relationship at instances — going 5-for-7 from the sector down the stretch, and the Nets rolled to a 132-114 blowout victory over the Rockets on March 3 in James Harden’s return to Houston. 

It was a becoming finish to the primary half for red-hot Brooklyn, which received 10 of its remaining 11 video games to hold a 24-13 document into the break — second-best within the Japanese Convention behind Philadelphia. They’re additionally 15-4 in opposition to .500 or higher groups. And on Thursday night time in opposition to Boston, the Nets will unveil one more new asset in veteran massive man Blake Griffin, whom Brooklyn nabbed for the veteran’s minimal on the buyout market. 

Granted, the Nets have needed to overcome a variety of early adversity earlier than hitting their stride. 

Kevin Durant has performed in simply 19 video games attributable to a mixture of accidents, relaxation, and well being and security protocols. Spencer Dinwiddie was misplaced early within the season attributable to a partial ACL tear. And Irving missed two weeks’ value of motion whereas out attributable to private causes — his absence upsetting the group, in response to league sources.

In all, Brooklyn’s Large Three has began simply six video games collectively. 

Nonetheless, the Nets are on-pace to submit the perfect offensive ranking in NBA historical past, averaging 118.2 factors per 100 possessions. And their ceaselessly terrible protection has even improved of late. They ranked twenty seventh in defensive ranking en path to a mediocre 14-12 begin, however have managed to rank a decent sixteenth throughout their latest 10-1 spurt.  

Harden has been the first catalyst within the workforce’s turnaround, placing himself squarely within the MVP dialog in consequence. The 31-year-old star has been a strolling triple-double, averaging 25.5 factors, 11.4 assists and eight.7 rebounds because the Jan. 14 blockbuster commerce. However extra importantly, he’s supplied much-needed vocal management, unafraid to confront his teammates and name them out when crucial. 

Harden might have stop on Houston, however he’s clearly motivated by his critics in Brooklyn — displaying a willingness to place the workforce first in pursuit of the championship that has eluded him throughout his future Corridor of Fame profession. “The last word aim is to compete for a championship and win a championship,” Harden mentioned throughout All-Star weekend. “That’s one of many explanation why I needed to return to Brooklyn. I believe everyone on this group feels the identical method.”

Harden’s presence has additionally supplied a chilled affect on Irving, league sources mentioned. The backcourt duo has gotten alongside very properly, which has been extraordinarily essential with Durant out attributable to a left hamstring pressure. 

“In Houston, James would complain about every thing to the workforce CEO (Tad Brown). He’s gotten high-level guys traded. The Rockets gave him an excessive amount of management,” a league supply with data of the state of affairs mentioned. “However in Brooklyn, he’s not making it about himself. He’s been very humble and gracious, making performs for others. And he’s accomplished an outstanding job preserving himself in verify.”  

Nash’s Nets are trending upward. Nonetheless, in his remaining postgame information convention earlier than the break, the rookie coach listed off a number of issues that he desired for his workforce to enhance — together with cohesion, continuity, well being, defensive enchancment, scheme refinement and communication.  

“It’s enjoyable seeing progress,” Nash mentioned. 

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Right here’s a take a look at how Brooklyn obtained thus far:  

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On Feb. 9, following his workforce’s debacle in Detroit, Nash issued a problem to his gamers. 

“It’s as much as the workforce to resolve what kind of workforce they need to be,” Nash mentioned after the Nets displayed a scarcity of power and energy of their 122-111 loss to the cellar-dwelling Pistons. 

It was Brooklyn’s third consecutive defeat. The workforce had a mediocre document of 14-12 on the time — together with a 7-6 mark since buying and selling for Harden. “We glance very common,” Irving admitted. 

Perhaps it wasn’t a breaking level. But it surely actually was a wakeup name. 

After Joe Harris drained a 3-pointer for the sport’s first factors, Detroit countered with a 13-0 run. DeAndre Jordan had been a legal responsibility each offensively and defensively throughout that stretch, turning the ball over whereas failing to guard the paint. Nash known as timeout to cease the bleeding, and Harden lit into Jordan on the bench, as the 2 engaged in a heated dialog. Later, Nash and Jordan additionally obtained into it. 

“Someone needed to say one thing,” a league supply with data of the state of affairs mentioned. “Joe Harris couldn’t say it. Kyrie Irving couldn’t say it. However James has been holding his teammates accountable. Sufficient was sufficient. DJ screwed up, and James let him understand it. It’s that mixture of brutal honesty, after which he’s acting at an MVP stage. There’s no comeback for that apart from to say, ‘You’re proper.’” 

Jordan — who additionally inexplicably stopped attempting whereas guarding Mason Plumlee later within the first quarter — admitted that he wanted to be higher on D. And after the workforce flew house for the second half of a back-to-back set in opposition to Indiana, Nash was extra vital of his gamers than ordinary of their pre-game movie session.  

Their response spoke volumes: Jordan (12 factors, 13 rebounds, three blocks) was dominant patrolling the paint, and the Nets outscored the Pacers 62-30 within the first half en path to a 104-94 victory on Feb. 10 at Barclays Middle. 

Galvanized by its turnaround, Brooklyn swept its West Coast roadtrip, going an ideal 5-0 for the primary time in franchise historical past, with Harden carrying the load — particularly within the miracle comeback in opposition to Phoenix on Feb. 16. The Nets finally received a season-high eight in a row.

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The Nash rent got here out of left discipline, catching the NBA world abruptly. 

It wasn’t that he didn’t have the potential to be a profitable coach sometime. It’s that he had so many different pursuits, and had proven no indications of eager to be a head coach sooner or later. 

In fact, it took some convincing for Nash to hitch the teaching ranks. Brooklyn’s dream goal was at all times Gregg Popovich. However the Nets finally turned to a full-fledged recruitment of Nash, with proprietor Joe Tsai and GM Sean Marks placing on a full-court press for his companies. 

Ultimately, a four-year deal was reached. It’s believed that the typical annual worth of the deal is at the least as a lot — and really probably much more — than the rookie-best $5 million Steve Kerr and Derek Fisher obtained from Golden State and New York, respectively, to make the leap. Durant, who Nash had labored with when the Corridor of Fame level guard was a participant improvement marketing consultant with the Warriors, endorsed the rent. 

“Individuals who don’t know Steve properly — and haven’t type of seen behind the scenes — don’t know simply how aggressive he’s,” Marks, who performed with the two-time MVP Nash on the “Seven Seconds or Much less” Suns, recalled of his e-teammate in Phoenix. “He’s extraordinarily aggressive, nevertheless it doesn’t at all times present up in screaming and boisterous antics. That’s not what he’s about. However once you look again on what he’s been in a position to obtain in his profession, he simply exudes a lot confidence to everyone else as a result of he’s a type of guys, when he does converse up, his voice simply has to lift one or two decibels and everyone shuts up and listens as a result of it’s coming from the suitable place, and it’s very considerate in its supply.” 

Nash has step by step begun to indicate extra of his persona on Zoom Calls with reporters. However behind the scenes, league sources say he’s extra demanding. “He’s obtained an actual toughness in his method,” was how one particular person put it.  “However his greatest energy has been staying answerable for every thing.” 

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Current outcomes apart, it hasn’t been all easy crusing. Not by any means. 

Nash’s most important teaching mistake was not calling a timeout to advance the ball to halfcourt when the Nets blew a five-point lead with 12.3 seconds remaining on Jan. 31 in opposition to the Washington Wizards. As an alternative, Bradley Beal and Russell Westbrook drilled consecutive 3-pointers — sandwiched between an errant in-bounds move from Harris beneath his personal basket — and Brooklyn misplaced 149-146. 

Nash has drawn criticism for his timeout utilization — or lack thereof — on the whole.  The rookie coach prefers to let his gamers play by errors and sometimes determine issues out for themselves, at all times taking the lengthy view. Finally, Nash — like his star gamers — can be judged primarily based on how his workforce performs within the playoffs. However issues seem like trending in the suitable path, with Nash displaying a capability to be taught from his personal errors and modify. 

Adversity has by no means been distant — most notably with Irving. It began throughout the offseason on Durant’s podcast, when Irving mentioned he didn’t actually see the Nets as having a head coach. Irving later apologized to Nash. However then got here Irving — not Nash — calling timeout and outwardly expressing his frustrations by way of his unfavorable physique language following a collection of defensive breakdowns in opposition to the Wizards on Jan. 3. 

4 days later, Irving’s absence attributable to private causes initially got here as a shock to Nash. Nash mentioned that he had texted Irving, however the All-Star guard didn’t reply. Irving, nonetheless, did textual content his teammates of their group chat relating to the state of affairs. Nash, who had constructed a status as a standup man within the locker room throughout his profession — the place belief was constructed on honesty, respect and directness — was pissed off with Irving’s lack of communication, league sources mentioned. 

On Jan. 12, when requested if he was assured that Irving would play once more this season, Nash merely replied: “Certain.” Like Nash, Tsai and Marks have been additionally pissed off with Irving throughout that point interval. “Certainly — I’m not going to shrink back from it — the group is upset with not having any one among our gamers, on this explicit case Kyrie, not amongst us, not within the trenches with us and so forth,” Marks mentioned on the time.  

The Jan. 14 addition of Harden — made in an try to maximise the workforce’s championship window with Durant (29.0 factors, 7.3 rebounds, 5.3 assists) acting at an MVP stage, whereas additionally hoping to additional persuade KD to remain long-term — didn’t simply present one other All-Star expertise with all of the uncertainty surrounding Irving. It additionally injected the locker room with much-needed persona and chatter. 

Extremely-respected veteran Jeff Inexperienced had beforehand been the one talking up when instances obtained powerful. Durant may be blunt — and can be able to elevating his voice given his gravitas and resume — although he’s not generally known as a vocal chief, and sometimes feeds off of battle. Now, in Harden, there’s one other influential voice within the locker room.  

Irving (27.2 factors, 6.0 assists, 4.8 rebounds) has developed a status as a unstable and unpredictable persona who has clashed with a number of of his coaches. However he’s additionally a superb, seemingly future Corridor of Fame participant — beloved by lots of his teammates — with a particular bundle of dribble strikes and layup finishes coveted by his friends. Brooklyn goes to want buy-in from everybody on the roster to dwell as much as its large expectations, and Irving appears dedicated in that respect — particularly of late. 

The strain is just going to ratchet up from right here, with the Nets seeking to additional tinker with their roster (with potential future playoff opponents like Philadelphia and Milwaukee in thoughts); get their gamers wholesome; and finetune their defensive schemes earlier than the postseason begins. 

Steve Nash and Kyrie Irving speaking it out on the sidelines — the rookie coach supporting his star guard amid his capturing struggles that night time — and getting optimistic outcomes from that dialog looks like an essential step in the suitable path. In any case, there may be nonetheless much more to play for.