James Harden’s arrival in Brooklyn has corresponded with a surge by the Nets, one that has them just a half game back of second place in the Eastern Conference and in the middle of every championship conversation around the league.
And yet, there are still doubters.
“I’m not a James Harden guy, and it’s not personal, but you can’t win with that style,” three-time NBA All-Star Antoine Walker said on March 4 during an appearance on the All Things Covered podcast with Patrick Peterson and Bryant McFadden, via CBS Sports. “He’s in a very unique situation with [Kevin] Durant and Kyrie [Irving], but it remains to be seen.
“I don’t think you can win with his style. Any time it takes a guy six, seven, eight dribbles to get to where he has to go, that’s a problem. It works today because it’s more of a pick-and-roll league, so he gets away with a lot of things now, but I would not leverage my future for James Harden.”
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Harden Fires Back
To this point, Walker’s criticism has been largely unfounded. The Nets are thriving with Harden as their point guard, going 17-6 since trading for him in a mega four-team deal on January 14.
Naturally, Harden was inclined to dismiss Walker’s comments — but not before taking a not-so-subtle jab at the former Miami Heat champion.
“Stuff like that I don’t pay attention to,” Harden said Sunday ahead of making his ninth straight All-Star Game appearance, via NBA writer Michael Scotto, “especially somebody that has no credibility.”
James Harden on Antoine Walker criticizing his style of play: “Stuff like that I don’t pay attention to, especially somebody that has no credibility.”
Shots fired.
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Harden in MVP mode
The “style” that Harden plays with that Walker referenced has already come a long way since he joined the Nets. Harden now is the team’s de facto point guard — and Irving its de facto shooting guard. The Beard has proven to be a brilliant facilitator in the short time he’s spent in Brooklyn, and has thrust himself into the MVP conversation by averaging 25.5 points, 8.7 rebounds and a league-leading 11.4 assists in 23 games since joining the Nets.
In a recent article by The Ringer’s Jonathan Tjarks entitled “James Harden’s MVP Case Is Growing Stronger,” Tjarks writes: “What separates Harden from many other stars around the league is how directly his individual greatness drives team success.”
More from Tjarks:
“Harden brings the ball up the court and then creates an easy shot for himself or one of his teammates. And then he does it over and over and over again. There’s not much the defense can do to slow him down, and it’s almost impossible for the opposing offense to be as efficient. That’s why Brooklyn is winning all these games.”
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James Harden Fires Back at Criticism From Former NBA All-Star