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With Kyrie Irving out, the Nets want James Harden to be superman regularly. And proper now the NBA’s rule adjustments have been his kryptonite.
Harden struggled by means of a horrid recreation Sunday in the 111-95 home-opening loss to the Hornets, scoring 15 factors, however committing a staggering eight turnovers. And whereas each Harden and head coach Steve Nash admit he has been the poster boy for the rule adjustments on drawing fouls with unnatural motions, he mentioned he can’t gripe over them.
“He’s obtained to keep it up. I really feel like he’s unfairly turn into the poster boy of not calling these fouls,” Nash mentioned. “A few of them are positively fouls nonetheless. However they’re simply so alert and conscious and he’s the poster baby of those new selections that they’re nonetheless — I get it, there’s a line, however a few of them are nonetheless fouls. So, he’s simply obtained to keep it up, he’s obtained to maintain going to the basket and he’s obtained to do what he does.”
Harden has averaged 8.7 free-throw makes an attempt in his profession, and seven.3 final season with the Nets. However he’s averaging simply three thus far this season, with one on Sunday.
“Yeah, the brand new guidelines they do suppose plenty of issues aren’t fouls. So we’ve simply obtained to play by means of it and never fear in regards to the refs and get again and compete,” Bruce Brown mentioned of a noticeable change in how the refs take care of Harden.
“Yeah, positive [I’m the poster boy], however I’m not the sort to complain about it. I ask each official, in the event that they see a foul, simply name a foul. Typically I really feel like coming right into a recreation, it’s already predetermined or I’ve a stigma getting foul calls,” Harden mentioned. “However I simply ask for the officers to only name what they see.
“I can’t cease taking part in basketball. I imply, a foul is a foul it doesn’t matter what league it’s. But it surely’s larger, I’ve obtained to play higher clearly. That’s it.”
A part of that can simply come from time. Hamstring points compelled him to spend a lot of his offseason rehabbing somewhat than taking part in, which harm his conditioning.
“I’m simply getting my confidence again,” mentioned Harden. “I’m just a little hesitant. You guys can see it. Simply going by means of plenty of ups and downs final yr after which coming into coaching camp wholesome and ensuring my conditioning is the place it wanted to be. Simply ensuring my confidence continues to construct.
“That’s all that issues. We’re [at] recreation 3. My confidence will rise and can proceed to get higher as video games go on and I really feel extra assured and get that burst of pace like I’m usually used to. No worries in any respect.”
The Nets will play the second half of a back-to-back Monday versus the Wizards, so that they sat Blake Griffin on Sunday. Griffin and Durant each are anticipated to play Monday.
Former Nets level guard Spencer Dinwiddie will return to Barclays Heart on Monday with the Wizards. He suffered a torn ACL within the third recreation of final season and by no means performed once more for the Nets, who traded him to Washington within the offseason.
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