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James Harden should win NBA's MVP Award after transforming Nets into title favorites
It's the Larry O'Brien Trophy that has eluded Harden throughout his legendary 13-year career. Critics pick apart his offensive game calling him too isolation-heavy with his usage rate through the roof when he was in Houston. Detractors of Harden's game compare his defensive effort and intensity to a matador and question his willingness to play both ends of the floor.
Upon his trade to Brooklyn, after an unceremonious departure from the Rockets, Harden instantly transformed a Nets squad that was hovering barely above .500 with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in and out of the lineup, into instant title favorites. The Nets gaining separation from the rest of the Eastern Conference pack has been largely on the Harden's shoulders as he sacrificed a great deal of his scoring mentality to take on more of a distributor role.
Averaging 11 assists, 8.6 rebounds and 1.3 steals to go along with 25.1 points on 47.1 perecnt of the field, Harden is playing the best overall basketball of his career. With all due respect to Jason Kidd, Harden is playing at a higher level than any player to ever don a Nets uniform during their NBA era. Harden is not only a triple-double threat, but he is making an impact in every aspect of the game. The point guard is making high level decisions with the basketball on the fly, while showcasing an active voice on the floor and in the locker room to put his teammates in the best position to succeed. Extrapolate Harden's numbers over 6o or more games with the Nets, and Brooklyn might very well have the NBA's top record and the perennial All-Star would be well on his way to a second MVP Award.
Nets need to prepare for playoff run and seasons to come without Spencer Dinwiddie
Nets still in play for top playoff seed in East
Spencer Dinwiddie progressing in rehab, Nets leave door open for return in time for playoffs
Spencer Dinwiddie has been sidelined since December 27 when he partially tore his ACL in just the Nets third game of the season. It's been a long journey back for Brooklyn's sixth man of the year candidate, who tore his ACL as a junior in college at Colorado and opted to forgo his senior season by declaring for the 2014 NBA draft. The Pistons selected the 6-foot-6 guard in the second round, but he flourished under Kenny Atkinson and the Nets starting in 2016.
The Nets have an embarrassment of riches on offense and while Dinwiddie is a dynamic scoring threat, his biggest value is in his fearless dives to the rim to draw fouls and open space for shooters.
Steve Nash wouldn't commit to Dinwiddie's return to the court, but an x-factor of his caliber would make all the difference in a potential series against the Bucks or Sixers, or dare we say whatever opponent awaits the Nets in the NBA finals.
Nets cruise past Spurs 128-116 in Harden's return from hamstring injury
James Harden didn't miss a beat in his first action since leaving an April 5th contest against the Knicks after aggravating a lingering hamstring injury. Brooklyn's jack of all trades scored 18 points, dished out 11 assists, and snatched seven rebounds in 26 minutes.
In his first back-to-back games of the season, Kevin Durant finished with 21 points, 7 assists and 7 rebounds in 29 minutes.
The Nets control their own destiny for the number two seed in the Eastern Conference and if they win out they would edge out Milwaukee. There's still a path for them to topple the Sixers for the top overall seed if Philadelphia loses to Miami and it's final two contests both against Orlando and the Nets beat Chicago and Cleveland in their final two games of the regular season.
That second scenario is not very likely but the fact that the Nets are still in the hunt with all the injuries and disruptions that have impacted the team, is impressive to say the least.
Brooklyn Nets' James Harden will play Wednesday against Spurs, Kyrie Irving ruled out
The Brooklyn Nets have announced that James Harden will return to action on Wednesday against the Spurs, but Kyrie Irving has been ruled out following the facial contusion he suffered during Tuesday nights 115-107 win over the Chicago Bulls.
Brooklyn will only have two regular season games after Wednesday's meeting with San Antonio leaving the Nets big three not a lot of time to build chemistry before the start of the playoffs.
Kevin Durant, Irving, and Harden are perennial All Stars with championship experience, but it has to be a little disconcerting that they can't stay on the court together healthy as a trio.
Kyrie Irving exits Bulls game after taking elbow to the face from Nikola Vucevic
Kyrie Irving left Tuesday night's game against the Chicago Bulls with just over 10 minutes left in the third quarter after taking an elbow to the eye from Bulls center Nikola Vucevic.
The Nets have not issued an update on his status for tomorrow night's game against the San Antonio Spurs but he was immediately ruled out the rest of Tuesday night's contest. The team classified the injury as a facial contusion.
Back in 2019, Irving suffered an orbital bone fracture during one of his first few scrimmages upon signing with the Nets, and while Tuesday's injury is far from good news, the hope is that the Nets point guard won't be out for a prolonged period, if at all. Brooklyn is expecting James Harden back in the lineup against the Spurs on Wednesday after hamstring problems have sidelined him the past few weeks.
The Nets big three has only played seven games together and now Irving's status is up in the air just when Harden is returning to action
Nets Potential Playoff opponents
If the playoffs ended today, the Nets would tangle with the winner of the Celtics/Hornets play-in tournament for the seventh seed. Nothing is guaranteed in the NBA, but it’s safe to say Brooklyn would like to avoid a clash with Brad Stevens and Boston, if possible. Even without Jaylen Brown, the C’s have been battle-tested and they are not your typical seventh seed. The Nets would like to avoid Boston (7) or Miami (6) in the opening round and hope that Milwaukee would have to contend with either.
The other team that could give Durant, Harden, Irving and company fits is Washington. The Wizards already beat the Nets twice this year and Bradley Beal’s scoring prowess along with Russell Westbrook’s triple-double capabilities make the electric duo a matchup to avoid. With no disrespect to the following club, Charlotte, the Nets would welcome a matchup with the Hornets over potential games against Miami or Boston. The Nets are in control of their destiny as they have four games left against Chicago, San Antonio, Chicago and Cleveland. Win out and they clinch the two seed and in all likelihood avoid the reigning Eastern conference champion Heat.
With Harden expected to return over the final four games, the must-win games start right now for Steve Nash and crew’s quest for a title.
James Harden holds key to Nets championship hopes
The Brooklyn Nets made a huge splash during the 2019 free agency period by signing Kyrie Irving and and Kevin Durant with fans singing Sean Marks' praises for netting two of the league's premier scorers. While Durant's recovery from his Achilles surgery sidelined him for all of the 2019-2020 campaign, Irving dazzled in just 20 games before knee troubles curtailed his season.
Now with Marks pulling another rabbit out of the hat by acquiring James Harden from the Rockets, Durant's former teammate and a close friend to Irving holds the key to the franchise's hope of winning its first NBA title and clinching its first finals berth since the 2002-2003 season. Brooklyn's Big Three has played just seven games as a complete trio with a combination of virus protocol, hamstring issues, load management and personal issues all among many reasons the talented stars have missed significant action this season
The Nets are still many pundits' favorite to come out of the Eastern Conference and capture the franchise's first Larry O'Brien Trophy, but if those dreams are going to be realized, Harden needs to be at full strength and playing at an MVP-level as he during the first half of the season.