Nets head coach Steve Nash revealed that Harris will be sidelined with a gluteal strain until the playoffs start. The Nets are overloaded with lethal perimeter shooters, but not a single player on the team nor in the entire league is as accurate as Joe Harris. Harris is shooting a scorching hot 47.5 percent from beyond the arc. One of the few remaining players from the Kenny Atkinson era in Brooklyn, Harris has garnered recognition and praise from teammates both current and former for his selfless attitude and sound fundamental play. If Brooklyn hopes to come out on top in the NBA playoffs, Harris will need to be front and center.Steve Nash met with the media this morning to to analyze his team success with so many different lineups over the year and for the upcoming playoffs.#NETSonYES pic.twitter.com/5mEFyCLVco
— YES Network (@YESNetwork) May 15, 2021
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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.