The superstar duo of James Harden and Kevin Durant has looked terrific in Harden’s first two games with the Nets, wins over Orlando and Milwaukee.
Durant has averaged 36.0 PPG in those two victories, while Harden has contributed 33.0 PPG, 13.0 APG, and 9.0 RPG. Their 138 combined points are the highest total since 1961 for any two teammates in their first two games with a franchise, according to Malika Andrews of ESPN.
Harden and Durant, of course, played together with the Thunder earlier in their respective NBA careers, and Nets coaches and management have said they’d lean on the two stars’ previous chemistry in the early going this season. As Andrews details, Harden believes the increased maturity level of the two former MVPs has helped them quickly reestablish that chemistry.
“We were young in Oklahoma City,” Harden said. “We are grown men now. We know what we want. We really know the game of basketball now. We are not those young guys that want to run around and just shoot and dunk all day. And then for me, I sit back and I know what player Kevin Durant is. He’s one of the best players to ever touch a basketball.”
While Durant said the Nets still have “room to improve,” he told reporters after Monday’s game that incorporating Harden into the lineup has been “pretty seamless,” per Andrews.
Here’s more on the Nets:
- Head coach Steve Nash said that Kyrie Irving will “hopefully” be available to return to the Nets’ lineup on Wednesday against Cleveland, tweets Andrews. Irving is back with the team and has been cleared from COVID-19 protocols, but is still ramping up his conditioning. “What you want to see is him to get some time in his legs so he’s more able to adapt back to playing,” Nash said.
- Asked on Monday if they would have pulled the trigger on the trade that brought Harden to Brooklyn if they were running the Nets, both Jarrett Allen and Taurean Prince admitted they would have, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. “Look at what happened with the Lakers, they did the same thing,” Allen said, referring to the Lakers’ 2019 acquisition of Anthony Davis. “The next year they went and got their ring. So take myself out of it, I’d love to stay in Brooklyn, but I understand in the opportunity like that you have to go do it.”
- Both Allen and Prince also said on Monday that while they understand the business side of the NBA, that understanding didn’t necessarily make it easier to be traded. “It was definitely rough on me,” Allen said, according to Lewis. “Even though you say it’s the business of basketball, it never makes it easier. But it’s the business and I had to move on.”
- In case you missed it on Monday, we relayed a report indicating that the Nets shopped Landry Shamet in an effort to avoid including Allen in the Harden blockbuster. We also passed along a series of NBA franchise valuations that estimate the Nets’ worth to be $3.4 billion, fourth-highest in the league.
Conference finals Prediction
Nets beat Bucks in the East
Lakers beat Clippers in the West
Warriors are most impressive
Lose to Bucks and Nets without Draymond
defeat both Clippers and Lakers, both teams at full strength
Toughest schedule
Warriors down by about 20 points then come back to defeat them
Giannis never should of signed his deal. The Bucks window is closed. Giannis should of gone to Miami or Dallas. Or Bucks should of gotten Beal instead of Holliday.
Signing a deal doesn’t matter. If the Bucks don’t win this year Giannis can gain 20 pounds, show up late to training camp and demand a trade.
He’s tall I think he’ll wear it well
facts
20? A little kind there aren’t you? Man showed up looking like Rick Ross.
Rick Ross is putting up 30/13/9. This team could be ridiculous with the big 3 at this stage in their careers. I’m not anticipating ego issues just wins.
That’s good …..
if they get beal then their defense is gunna be extremely trash
Nets look great for 2 games, but it’s early and the playoffs are different.
Yeah, its way too soon to judge one way or the other. I would say the same thing if they were 0-2.
Obviously, the Nets have a good team, but a two-game win streak early in the season means nothing.
Can’t wait for Kyrie join this team and see how ball distribution works between him and Harden. Going to be interesting.
@Curtis very true next year Giannis can do what Harden did this year.
Too true, too true what Harden says about maturity…
I mean for the first 7-8 years of a players career, winning shouldn’t matter at all, is all about them becoming the best players they can be, shine the most, which is hard if you got a bunch of guys, so Harden did the right thing by getting out & taking his talents somewhere he could show how flippingly good he is.
Now all of them Kyrie, Harden & KD have done it already, won their awards, shown how good they are, reach their ceiling, now with their maturity they can play & succeed together putting the team ahead of themselves, all those years ago it would have been wrong for Harden & KD to do that, now is the time, which it bodes well for BRK, right?
Harden doesn’t have a ring.
Trade Kyrie for role players and picks if possible.
1. Orlando
Kyrie Irving and Landry Shamet for Aaron Gordon, Terrance Ross, Cole Anthony and a pair of second round picks.
2. Clippers
Kyrie Irving for Pat Beverly, Lou Williams and Ivan Zubac.
First deal means Aaron Gordon can play PF and be the teams third option. Terrance Ross off the bench would give you nice production and you get something for the future with Cole Anthony and some picks. Anthony learning off Harden and Durant would be great.
Magic get Irving and Shamet. Irving and Vuce could be a nice pairing and when Issacs returns to PF they would be a threat.
The second gives you Pat Beverly to pair with Harden in the backcourt for some defence. Ivan Zubac to share centre minutes with DeAndre Jordan and Lou Williams to be the impact off the bench.
Clippers add a point guard that Kawhi has been asking for to run the offence through. Gives them a great 1-5 with Irving PG Kawhi Morris and Ibaka.
Not happening. Nets are set outside of filling roster spots or making a bench trade for someone in the last year of a contract that could fit into the taxpayer MLE or DPE, assuming they get it for Dinwiddie’s injury. Outside of that, this is the team they’ll roll with.
I was too young to remember when Dr. J led them to the ABA championship. I’ve been a fan since the days of Buck Williams, Mike Gminski, Darwin Cook, Jan Van Breda Kolff, etc. I was devastated after the death of Drazen Petrovic. Jason Kidd, RJ, and Co. got us to the mountaintop, but this team has the ability to get us into the promised land. There’s no way they’re trading one of their big 3 now.
Like your comment but I can’t see it ever actually working out and winning a championship with these 3 divas at the top. KD granted has shown the most focus and is not only willing to work hard but he’s trying to put all this talk past him and just play winning ball. I like it. Harden again big off court dramas and has a history of not getting over the hump and being abit soft but he’s also very focused on winning the title which is want you want.
Kyrie on the other hand, he’s off burning sage, going to family birthdays, sitting out for personal reasons, talking about retiring, not being with his team, thinks the earth is flat, and so on. He’s just not focused at all, not dedicated, and not a player to build around.
I agree it’s very unlikely they make a move but I think if they made that Clippers trade it would make them stronger and more likely to win a title.
Beverly is a dawg, he plays games 200%, talks smack, is a leader, plays great defence and has played with Harden. Lou Will again, very focused on basketball, is excellent off the bench, is a nice locker room player and just wants to win. Zubac is exactly what you need to replace Allen. A young centre that doesn’t want to let his team mates down, brings energy and wants to win. That’s a better team than crazy Kyrie
I thought sweet lou was the NBA player most focused in strip clubs & show girls… am I wrong?
@Simmons>Russ… Why on earth would BRK wanna trade KD?
Makes no sense… would you care to explain, please?
lmao he wasn’t even talking bout trading KD. read before you talk
Oh boy! Even something as simple as that you can’t get! SMH!
I do know he didn’t mention him, I can read you know!
But the point is that all the ridiculously stupid comments that say about trading Kyrie must include KD, as they came together as a package, now you trade Kyrie & how long do you think it will take for KD to ask for a trade?
I mean my comment was just out of a lil’ bit of common sense, which here tends to always be swapped for hatred of players for some reason!
Anyway shouldn’t even had to explain that!
Thank you, read before you comment. Trade Kyrie not KD.
I know KD and him are buds and they came together but doesn’t mean they leave together. KD for the most part is focused on playing winning basketball, and wanting to win a championship. He hasn’t said much about Kyrie and hasn’t let it distract him which has been great. He’s come out and praises Harden for his play and obviously he’s feeling pretty happy.
It would be a huge change and possibly upset him hence why they probably don’t trade Kyrie but it would be for the better. Maybe KD is getting low key annoyed at Kyrie for all these distractions and not playing and whatever. I know I would be. LD and Harden are good enough to carry a team offensively no doubt. They just need the to get some depth, some defenders, a bench and a motivated locker room. Beverly Lou Will and Zubac would bring that. 3 string competitors, loads of energy and some charisma for a great locker room
bruh @simmons>russ they could literally pickup a few role players off da market. if they’re trading for beverly, williams, and zubac by wasting kyrie, then they should just forget bout contending for a title. aaron gordon isnt a superstar, ross is just for depth purposes and anthony is a developing rookie.thats not gunna help da nets win a title
You obviously don’t know basketball. You reckon you can get Beverly Lou Will and Zubac off the market and adding these three to KD and Harden wouldn’t make them a title threat. Kyrie is a superstar don’t get me wrong but he’s also an idiot.
Flat earth, family birthdays, not speaking to the media, burning sage, talk of retiring… he’s a huge distraction, not even with his team, not focussed at all and how does that affect a team try to win a ring. It won’t happen if Kyrie keeps it up.
Beating the Bucks was a nice win. Easily could have been a loss. Harden sharing the ball definitely a good sign. But it’s easy with no Kyrie. We need to wait 30 gms to judge this team. The biggest issue was going to be Harden and Kyrie fitting. Not Harden and KD. The Nets D will suffer. And at some point they will have to address it. I know Harden can shoot and get his shot. But by now I don’t get how easy he still makes it look. I know it’s the season and the D is not as tight yet. But he don’t seem too difficult to push up on. If you watch Warriors this yr. You see how without other shooters Steph got more traffic his way. Come playoff time the D will get tighter. As a baller I’m going to enjoy seeing who D’s this team first. To me Harden is easier to control than Kyrie. Remember at Houston they let him get his stats. Cause they knew they could stop the rest. That’s why Rockets never won with him. Here they’re not winning unless they share the ball. And have a ball movement offense. I mean it’s a work in progress to build a true winner. Give it time
Agreed! Tip of the cap to the Nets.
Harden looks like a refreshed player. If Kyrie comes back just as energetic and happy to play and share the ball, Nets may be the best in the East.