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SAN DIEGO — James Harden has lastly gotten his hamstring again to 100%. Now, he’s engaged on getting his conditioning there as properly.
Between final yr’s coaching camp drama when he was nonetheless with the Rockets, and the hamstring accidents that stored short-circuiting his marketing campaign after his commerce to the Nets, Harden has performed much less basketball over the previous season than he’s accustomed to. Now wholesome and in camp with the Nets, he’s making up for misplaced time.
“He’s wholesome, however he’s attempting to get himself in form and elevate that,” head coach Steve Nash stated. “He hasn’t actually performed because the Boston collection, and earlier than that, he hadn’t performed for a very long time both. So he hasn’t performed lots of basketball, interval, because the [2020] bubble. It’s been stop-start for him. He nonetheless needs to get his legs underneath him, after which can really feel a number of new ranges for him to go.”
Harden — who had missed simply 20 video games mixed over the earlier six common seasons — performed simply 44 video games final season.
He is aware of the dearth of his normal conditioning led to the hamstring harm that value him 20 of 21 video games down the stretch and flared up seconds into Sport 1 towards Milwaukee. When he got here again in Sport 5, he was an motionless shell of his normal self.
“Yeah, and I’ve been doing particular person exercises and conditioning and issues like that. However five-on-five competitors is completely completely different than understanding individually,” Harden stated. “So the extra we are able to get five-on-five video games and construct our conditioning up. And never simply myself, our complete staff. … I really feel like we’re behind a little bit in [that] sense.”
Youthful gamers usually hit the bottom working over the primary three weeks as a result of they’ve been taking part in pickup all summer season. In the meantime, the older veterans usually need to play catch-up. The Nets are largely attempting to make up that floor now.
“We haven’t let any younger guys play,” Harden stated with fun. “We’ve simply been taking part in, all vets are attempting to get in form and get some continuity and get to know one another.”
That team-bonding — together with Thursday’s outing to proprietor Joe Tsai’s dwelling — goes to be very important with so many new faces. And on a squad of quiet introverts, Harden is taking up the mantle of management.
“I’ll attempt to get guys collectively for dinners and hangouts extra usually, simply so we are able to get to know one another outdoors of the courtroom,” Harden stated. “We’ve acquired a reasonably quiet group. A lot of the guys are to themselves; they keep in their very own little shells. It’ll be good to get them out, open up a little bit bit, even myself.
“I’m not that loud, however … I’m extra loud than anyone on this staff, like Paul [Millsap], LaMarcus [Aldridge], Patty [Mills], [Kevin Durant], you’ve acquired lots of guys who’re simply to themselves. So it’s my job to open them up a little bit bit extra.”
That doesn’t embrace prodding Kyrie Irving to interrupt his vaccine holdout. Harden claims he has blocked out all the skin noise about Irving, with the likes of CNN, Sen. Ted Cruz and the prime minister of Spain weighing in.
“That’s exhausting[core]. I don’t even know,” Harden stated, tossing his arms up within the air. “I didn’t even know CNN [was] speaking about us. I didn’t know Kareem [Abdul-Jabbar] and [Shaquille O’Neal] talked about us.
“Clearly, I do know [with] Kyrie, however I don’t know who’s speaking about him. I don’t take note of stuff. I keep out of that. Kyrie’s going to deal with that stuff, and I simply deal with coaching camp and making ready for an excellent season that we’re about to have.”
Harden additionally stated he hasn’t centered a lot on Ben Simmons’ state of affairs with the 76ers, which bears apparent parallels together with his personal drama in Houston final season earlier than forcing a deal to the Nets.
“I keep out of it. That’s not my state of affairs. Mine was completely completely different. However hey, I’m right here in Brooklyn,” Harden stated. “It was a little bit uncomfortable for me simply because I don’t like lots of consideration, particularly unfavorable or draining vitality.“I prefer to be in a very good place. I prefer to smile and have individuals round me smiling and good vibes. So it was form of a little bit uncomfortable for me. However I needed to undergo it and on the opposite facet I’m joyful to the place I’m now. Hopefully everyone forgot about it. Hopefully everyone moved on and everyone is nice.”
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