Getty Images James Harden high-fives Kevin Durant of the Brooklyn Nets.
When NBA training camp started this past December it was clear that eight-time all-star James Harden was unhappy with his situation in Houston. Russell Westbrook, who Harden campaigned for Houston to acquire last summer had already been traded to the Washington Wizards, and to nobody’s surprise The Beard did not show up for the first day of training camp. Once James and his unhappiness with the organization began to affect the team’s play on the floor, trade talks began to pick up again. On January 14 The Beard was traded to the Brooklyn Nets and their newest superstar couldn’t be happier with his current situation.
Harden Is Enjoying His New Role in Brooklyn
In Houston, James’s role was to be the Rockets’ primary scorer no matter what the team’s personnel was. However, if you have watched his game progress over the years, you would be able to tell that James has the most fun playing when he can distribute the ball. Now playing with two former champions in Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, James is hoping that his unique passing ability will be able to bring him the joy of being an NBA Champion.
“I am very confident, especially with this group and what we are capable of,” Harden said to reporters following Saturday’s win over the Heat. “We haven’t had much time to practice, which we keep saying, but I think learning on the fly and learning while we are winning is obviously good.” In a shortened NBA season, there was barely any time for training camp, and team practices are few and far in-between. The chemistry of the Brooklyn Nets is still a work in progress but when you have three generational talents on the same roster, things seem to work themselves out. As for James, he is in a perfect situation and maybe the happiest he has been in his career.
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“It is not really a change at all. It feels good not to have to score so much to give ourselves a chance to win the game,” James said on his decreased scoring. “I can just go out there and be a playmaker and shoot my shot once it’s available and still get guys involved to still have a chance to win the game. That is a change but for me, it’s just being the player I am. Impacting the game in other ways than scoring and being the best player I can be when I am out on the court.”
Harden’s Scoring Has Decreased Since Kyrie Returned
In James’s first two games as a Net, he scored 30-plus points in back-to-back games. Since the return of Kyrie, his numbers have dipped significantly, scoring just 31 points in the last two games combined. The Nets are still working the kinks out with their big three and James knows that building chemistry is a process.
“I just want to come in and get a feel for what is going on,” James said. “Obviously, I can be more aggressive offensively but we got more than enough scorers and guys that can put the ball in the basket. I just got to pick and choose my spots, which I feel like I’m doing okay but facilitating, getting guys shots, getting bigs finishes at the rim, and just trying to be solid defensively.”
James is capable of balancing both the scoring and distribution load. During the 2016-17 season when he was the MVP runner up to Russell Westbrook, James averaged 29.1 points and 11.0 assists which were both career highs at the time. With talents like KD and Kyrie on the roster, scoring won’t be a necessity for The Beard. Still, knowing that their newest acquisition is a dual-threat on offense makes the Brooklyn Nets look even more dangerous.
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