In order for the Brooklyn Nets to capitalize on their talent and make it all the way to the Finals, they need every player on their squad to be performing at the peak of their abilities.
So far, James Harden is not.
Harden has had a tricky season so far. He's been upset about the NBA rule changes that haven't allowed him to get fouled as much as he's used to. He's also been perturbed by the change in his role due to the absence of Kyrie Irving. All in all, it's not as easy as it once was for Harden.
He even admitted as much the other night, after Brooklyn fell to the red-hot Phoenix Suns. "I'm trying to figure it out. I'm trying to figure out when to score, when to be a playmaker, when to run the offense, when to do a little bit of everything."
The numbers show that Harden isn't wrong. He really is trying to figure it out, and it's not going as smoothly as he'd hoped.
Harden's output is down across the board. While he's not performing terribly, he is not doing enough to get the team deep into the postseason. In fact, if it weren't for other guys on his team (cough Kevin Durant cough) the Nets wouldn't have a chance.
Most concerning for Harden is his turnovers. He's always had a difficult time with turnovers. That's understandable for a playmaker such as him. But this year he's taken it to a new level and is averaging five turnovers a game, a league high. That's music to the ears of his former teammate Russell Westbrook, who is now second in the NBA for most turnovers.
The biggest step to making change is admitting something is wrong and that's exactly what James Harden has done. Now it's time to figure out the best way to steer the ship correctly and get back on track. Harden has plenty of time to make proper adjustments and get back to his old ways. If the Nets are going to be the superteam everyone expected, Harden is going to have to be a whole lot more, well, super.
In order for the Brooklyn Nets to capitalize on their talent and make it all the way to the Finals, they need every player on their squad to be performing at the peak of their abilities.
So far, James Harden is not.
Harden has had a tricky season so far. He's been upset about the NBA rule changes that haven't allowed him to get fouled as much as he's used to. He's also been perturbed by the change in his role due to the absence of Kyrie Irving. All in all, it's not as easy as it once was for Harden.
He even admitted as much the other night, after Brooklyn fell to the red-hot Phoenix Suns. "I'm trying to figure it out. I'm trying to figure out when to score, when to be a playmaker, when to run the offense, when to do a little bit of everything."
The numbers show that Harden isn't wrong. He really is trying to figure it out, and it's not going as smoothly as he'd hoped.
Harden's output is down across the board. While he's not performing terribly, he is not doing enough to get the team deep into the postseason. In fact, if it weren't for other guys on his team (cough Kevin Durant cough) the Nets wouldn't have a chance.
Most concerning for Harden is his turnovers. He's always had a difficult time with turnovers. That's understandable for a playmaker such as him. But this year he's taken it to a new level and is averaging five turnovers a game, a league high. That's music to the ears of his former teammate Russell Westbrook, who is now second in the NBA for most turnovers.
The biggest step to making change is admitting something is wrong and that's exactly what James Harden has done. Now it's time to figure out the best way to steer the ship correctly and get back on track. Harden has plenty of time to make proper adjustments and get back to his old ways. If the Nets are going to be the superteam everyone expected, Harden is going to have to be a whole lot more, well, super.
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