Sunday, January 17, 2021

J-Speaks: Nets Acquire Perennial All-Star and Former MVP For Title Run

 Nine years ago, the Houston Rockets acquired from the Oklahoma City Thunder a player that would go on to have individual success was a major reason the Rockets went from irrelevant to title contenders. After last season’s rough finish though, which was followed by major changes to the team, that said perennial All-Star and MVP candidate wanted out, and wanted to be rejoin his former teammate and former fellow Kia MVP for three seasons. He got his wish on Thursday as he was dealt to a team that he hopes to aide in winning a title this season.

In a four-team deal with the Rockets, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Indiana Pacers on Wednesday, the Brooklyn Nets acquired 2018 Kia MVP and scoring champion the last three seasons in guard James Harden, reuniting him with his teammate from 2009-12 with the Thunder and fellow perennial All-Star guard Kyrie Irving.

The Nets also acquired a 2024 Second-Round pick from the Cavaliers and sent center Jarrett Allen and forward Taurean Prince to Cleveland.

The Rockets acquired from the Nets guard/forward Caris LeVert, forward Rodions Kurucs, three First-Round picks (2022, 2024, and 2026), and four First-Round pick swaps (2021, 2023, 2025, and 2027). They also acquired from the Cavaliers guard Dante Exum, and a 2022 First-Round pick (via Milwaukee Bucks).

It is reported that this deal included a fourth team in the Pacers, who shipped two-time All-Star Victor Oladipo to the Rockets in exchange for LeVert and a 2023 Second-Round pick from the Rockets.  

With this bold move, the Nets will take to the hardwood a lineup that features three players capable of scoring 25-plus points on a nightly basis that rivals any so-called dynamic trios in recent seasons.

Harden joined Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady (2004-05) as the only players in the last 40 seasons to change teams after winning the scoring title the previous seasons. McGrady was dealt from the Orlando Magic to ironically enough the Houston Rockets.

Harden’s 34.3 points a season ago is second only to Wilt Chamberlin’s 36.9 scoring average in 1963-64 to play for multiple teams the next season when leading the NBA in scoring average the previous season. Third on that list is Allen Iverson’s 33.0 scoring average with the Philadelphia 76ers.

The Nets with Durant and Harden teaming up again are the first team in NBA history to pair two players to each win three or more scoring title, with Harden having led “The Association” in points per game average the last three seasons. Durant has led the NBA in points per game four times in his career. Durant and Harden have accounted for seven of the last 11 scoring titles.

The goal of this big move to acquire Harden, coupled with the signings of Durant and Irving last offseason was to gear up for a run at the NBA championship with three of the highest paid players in the NBA, who are under contract through the 2021-22 season, where they can opt out and become unrestricted free agents in the summer of 2022, with Harden and Durant both earning over $40 million each of the next two seasons.

“It means a lot,” Harden said in his Nets welcome virtual presser on Friday. “Just coming from eight years in Houston, and then having a fresh start with some unbelievable talent, and obviously the coaching staff, the front office from top to bottom. The welcome has been amazing. So, it’s a fresh start for me to go out there and ultimately have a chance to compete at a title.”

Having to piece this team together, that features three players that have a combined 24 All-Star Selections; 18 All-NBA Selections; two Kia Rookie of the Year Awards; and two Kia MVP Awards between them for this championship for the Nets (8-6) is rookie head coach and Hall of Famer Steve Nash, who declined to discuss the acquisition of Harden in the team’s 116-109 win versus the New York Knicks (5-6) on Wednesday night on ESPN, behind the 26 points, six assists, and two block shots by Durant on 10 for 18 from the field.

The former NBA floor general and two-time Kia MVP will have to put all of his knowledge from the hardwood and create an offensive and defensive philosophy that brings the best out of a trio whose past credentials speak to each having the ball in their hands.

“It’s a simple game but it becomes complicated when you put different personalities and players on the floor,” Nash said in the middle of this week. “Our group’s done a really good job being unselfish this year and trying to move the ball and work together so I’ve been proud of that.”

That journey to win a championship with Harden now in the fold got off to an excellent start as he registered a triple-double of 32 points, 14 assists, and 12 rebounds to go along with four steals, going 13 for 15 from the charity stripe in the Nets 122-115 win versus the Orlando Magic on Saturday night. Durant led the way with 42 points, five assists, two block shots, and two steals on 16 for 26 from the field, including 5 for 8 from three-point range.

Harden became the first player in NBA history to record a 30-plus point triple-double in one’s debut with his new team, while also becoming the seventh player in NBA history to author a triple-double in his debut with a new team.

“It felt really good. Guys got after it,” Harden said to Yankees Entertainment and Sports Network sideline reporter for the Nets Michael Grady after the win.

While there were some great moments for the Nets in Harden’s debut, there was some glaring areas that need to be cleaned up if they want to make the dream of winning a title a reality.

They surrendered 115 points on 46.3 percent shooting to the Magic, led by their All-Star center Nikola Vucevic, who had 34 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists, and five steals on 14 for 22 from the floor, including 6 for 12 from three-point range. The six made threes matched a career-high.

It has been said many times that offense wins games, but defense wins championships. Every single NBA champion since 2003 from the five-time NBA champion San Antonio Spurs (2003, 2005, 2007, and 2014), Detroit Pistons (2004), Miami Heat (2006, 2012, and 2013), Boston Celtics (2008), Los Angeles Lakers (2009, 2010, and 2020), Dallas Mavericks (2011), Golden State Warriors (2015, 2017, and 2018), and Toronto Raptors (2019) have finished in the no lower than No. 11 in defensive efficiency.

While the Nets ranked 13th in defensive efficiency, they rank 30th (dead last) in rate of contested shots at 84 percent, according to Second Spectrum, and have allowed on average 197 uncontested shot attempts to the opposition, the most allowed in the NBA.   

The Nets also had 19 turnovers, which the Magic converted into nine points, with Harden counting for nine of those miscues and Durant counting for six of his own.

“I mean, individually, I have to stop turning the basketball over,” Harden, who despite shooting 8 for 18 from the field was just 3 for 10 from three-point range also said to Grady postgame. “But that also comes with chemistry. That comes with practice. That comes with watching film. So, first game. I glad to get a win and we just got to keep going.”

Harden added about fitting in with the rest of the Nets, “When you’re playing with really good players, it’s pretty easy. You just got to learn reads. Learn where guys like the ball. Just learn our personnel individually. So, once I get that, you know, the turnovers will cut down, and I’ll be more efficient.”

Durant made some history himself on Saturday night with his ninth consecutive game scoring 25-plus points, setting a new franchise record, calling what Harden did in his debut “incredible.”

“You can see him trying to figure out the best way to play early on,” Durant added. “I felt like we all were overpassing. Trying to make everybody comfortable, and then he [Harden] got into his mode of, you know, being aggressive to score. And that opened up the game for all of us. So, you know, glad he got his feet up under him. He’s got to keep plugging away, keep getting better each day.”

What will make the Nets offense even more efficient is getting Irving back into the lineup, who missed his sixth straight game against the Magic.

Irving who has not played since the Nets 130-96 win versus the Utah Jazz, had been on the shelf the first five games due to personal reasons. He was listed as out on Saturday night because of the league’s COVID-19 health and safety protocols. A source of the Nets told ESPN’s Malika Andrews that while Irving expressed his desire to return to action, him being out for an extended period of time from the hardwood required a period of ramping up his basketball activities because he had not played in 12 days.

On Friday, the NBA announced that Irving violated the league’s COVID-19 health and safety regulations after a video surfaced on social media of him earlier last week at a family birthday party not wearing a mask. That led to him not only being fined $50,000 by the league, but Irving had to forfeit two game checks he missed during his five-day period of being in quarantine, which concluded at the close of this past week. In total, according to ESPN’s NBA Front Office Insider Bobby Marks, Irving lost $816,898 in salary.

“We are aware of a video on social media featuring Kyrie Irving at a family gathering,” Nets General Manager Sean Marks said on the situation. “We are reviewing the circumstances with both Kyrie and the NBA in order to determine compliance with health and safety protocols.”

“Kyrie remains away from the team due to personal reasons. A date of his return has yet to be finalized. In the meantime, we will continue to stay focused on our organizational goals. Kyrie will have the opportunity to address his absence when he is ready to do so.” 

The sooner that Irving can get back on the court the better for the Nets because with how things are this season in terms of how you can practice because of the COVID-19, it leaves a fraction of time for the trio of Durant, Irving, and Harden to find the kind of chemistry that will be necessary for them to have the kind of championship success that Durant and Irving want again, and what is missing from Harden’s career resume.

To put into context how daunting of a challenge this will be to create a system that will bring out the best of Durant, Irving and Harden, Irving at 42.5 percent, and Durant and each at 39.7 percent rank No. 1 and tied for No. 3 in terms of the highest usage rate in clutch time (last five minutes of the fourth quarter/overtime with the scorer within five points) over the last 10 seasons on a minimum of 500 minutes played, with the former teammate with the Thunder and Rockets in 2017 Kia MVP Russell Westbrook (40.9 percent) of the Washington Wizards and four-time Kia MVP and four-time Finals MVP LeBron James (39.4 percent) of the defending NBA champion Lakers ranking No. 2 and No. 5 respectably in this category. Harden (1,400), Irving (1,123), and Durant (1,044) ranked No. 1, No. 6, and No. 8 respectably in clutch points in the last 10 seasons

Meaning, the Nets have three guys they can go to in the final seconds of a game to make that last shot or be a decoy so that either of the other two can get that last shot in the clutch to put the Nets on top. Like how Irving did in Game 7 the 2016 Finals with the Cavaliers when he hit the game-winning three-pointer that capped their comeback from a 3-1 series deficit against the then defending NBA champion Warriors that earned them their first title in franchise history.

That said, the Nets not only brought in the league’s reigning three-time scoring champion in Harden, but also the league’s leader in both time of possession the last three seasons, at 1,364 minutes and in most dribbles at 76,648, according to Second Spectrum.

Harden’s success in his eight-plus seasons with the Rockets as the lethal scorer he has become begins at the top of the three-point line alone, where looks to either drive the basketball or a step back jumper, which he has become a master at.

Now with the Nets, James when does attack opposing defenses off the dribble and they close the door by bringing defensive help, he will now have the likes Durant, Irving, and Joe Harris, who can strike a match at the drop of a hat from the perimeter.

Over the past five seasons, Durant is the best in the NBA with a marksmanship of 47 percent on chat-and-shoot jump shots, according to Second Spectrum.

“We’re all elite,” Harden said. “Depending on the game. Depending on what’s going on over the course of the game, that’s going to determine who gets the ball and who makes the plays.”

“We’re all unselfish. We’re all willing passers. We play basketball the right, and that’s all that matters.”

While that might be the case that the Nets have made it a priority to be selfless on the floor, and Durant, Irving, and Harden say that now, that has not been the complete case for this newly formed trio off the court.

Ever since he left in free agency to join the Warriors in the summer of 2016, he has always faced from his critics, mainly from social media that he was a tag along in helping the Warriors win their two of three titles from the just completed decade, even though he was named back-to-back Finals MVP in 2017 and 2018.

Durant was shelved for the entire first season with the Nets in 2019-20 recovering from a right Achilles injury sustained in Game 5 of the 2019 Finals at the Toronto Raptors.

So far this season, he has shown no hesitation in his play and looks every bit like the dynamic scorer that he has been his entire career.

There is no denying that Irving is one of the elite guards in the NBA. His talent is second to none in the NBA. It has been his leadership style and focus that has always been called into question from his time with the Cavaliers playing alongside James, or in his short time with the Celtics to the early part of his time with the Nets.

Irving has shown that he at times only cares about doing things his own way from expressing last season how the Nets did not have elite talent to compete with the top teams in the league, even though he missed 52 of the 72 games last season after having season-ending shoulder surgery.

His exit from the Celtics the season before was a horrific one, which began with good intentions when he said before the start of that season to season-ticket holders that he intended to re-sign with them once he hit unrestricted free agency. He also had a hard time sharing the spotlight with now emerging star forwards Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.

Irving’s time with the Cavaliers came to a conclusion in summer of 2017 when he was dealt to the Celtics because he wanted to get out of the shadow of James, who left for a second time the summer of 2018 in free agency to join the Lakers.  

The collapse of the relationship between the Rockets and Harden began in the middle of September 2020 when former Rockets head coach, now Nets assistant coach Mike D’Antoni decided that he would not return to the coach the Rockets after they lost in the 2020 Western Semifinals to the now reigning NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers 4-1. 

On Oct. 15, 2020, then Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey resigns, being replaced by new GM Rafael Stone. Morey after saying he left to spend more time with his family in late October 2020 joins the Philadelphia 76ers as their new President of Basketball Operations.

“We’re still all-in. Our goal is to win a championship,” Stone said in early November 2020. “We’ll do anything we can to get us close to that goal.”

On Oct. 30, 2020, the Rockets hire longtime assistant coach Stephen Silas as their new head coach, which Harden and then teammate Russell Westbrook reportedly signed off on.

In the middle of November 2020, Harden and Westbrook express their concerns about the direction of the Rockets, with each asking to be traded. Harden ask to be traded to a couple different teams, with the Nets being at the top of his wish list.

Harden wanted to move on so much that on Nov. 16, 2020 turned down a two-year, $103 million contract extension.

He then did not report to training camp on time in early December 2020, but instead went on a three-state tour, that included stops in Atlanta, GA and Las Vegas, NV partying it up in clubs and nighttime establishments, posting photos of himself on his Instagram page @jharden13, without wearing a mask, which again is in direct violation of the NBA’s COVID-19 health and safety protocols.

While Harden was fined by the NBA, Rockets management simply wanted Harden back in the fold, hoping that once he got on the court with new additions in former All-Star John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins, and Christian Wood to try to change his mind on wanting out.

That did not happen as Harden continued to show his displeasure as the Rockets went 1-4 their previous five games, mainly due to Harden being a shadow of his usual high octane scoring, step back popping, foul drawing self, as he has registered 20 points or fewer four straight games for the first time since he was coming off the bench with the Thunder back in 2012.

It was on full display in the Rockets (4-7) 117-100 loss versus the Lakers last Tuesday night on NBATV, where the Lakers treated the contest like ESPN’s “NBA: The Jump’s” Rachel Nichols called “An And-One showcase.”

Harden finished what would be his final game in a Rockets uniform with 16 points, six assists, and seven rebounds on 5 for 16 from the field. Harden threw lazy passes; played with no effort or energy on defense.

To bring this into fuller context, Harden in the first three games of this season, he averaged 37.0 points and 11.0 assists on 52.5 percent from the field, 45.5 percent from three-point range on 12.0 free throw attempts per game. In the last five games, Harden had averaged just 17.4 points and 10.0 assists on 37.8 percent from the field, 25.6 percent from three-point range on 4.8 free throw attempts.

Coach Silas said postgame, “They’re having fun at our expense. It doesn’t feel good at all. We should take Umbridge. It was like the Lakers were dancing on our home court.”

It was what Harden said postgame that seemingly the entire basketball world has been thinking about his future with the Rockets for more than a month.

“We’re just not good enough,” he said. “Obviously, chemistry, talentwise. Just, everything, and it was clear.”

“I love this city. I literally have done everything that I can, you know. I mean, this situation is crazy. It’s something that I don’t think can be fixed.”

That was followed by Wall saying postgame, saying that when certain guys in the mix do not want to “buy in” as a group, it is harder to do anything “special.”

When asked about his relationship with Harden, Wall said that it has been a “little rocky.” That is has not been the “best” it could be.

How Harden conducted himself in his postgame presser seemed to be the last straw from the standpoint of the Rockets front office as they told Harden that Wednesday morning to not come to practice with Coach Silas telling reporters that he felt in the best interest of the team that he remained away until he was traded.

Cousins added that he does not feel “betrayed” one bit by how Harden has acted during his now brief time as his teammate with the Rockets. That his interest in signing with the Rockets was to team up with former University of Kentucky Wildcat in Wall. That showing up late to training camp and his “antics” away from the hardwood turned Cousins completely off to Harden.

“For us to be on the receiving end of some of his, you know, disrespectful comments and antics is completely unfair to us,” Cousins.

Harden got his wish in the middle of this past week when he was dealt to the Nets, finishing his Rockets career second only to Hall of Famer and two-time NBA champion Hakeem Olajuwon in scoring at 18.365, and No. 1 in assists (4,796), made three-pointers (2,029), and free throws made (5,554), being named an All-Star in those first eight seasons.

An organization that brought in the likes of Dwight Howard (2013-16), Chris Paul (2017-19) and the aforementioned Westbrook (2019-20) during Harden’s time with the Rockets and wanted out in three seasons or under playing with Harden.   

“An elite player. An elite teammate. An elite leader,” Harden said in his introductory presser when asked by WNBC 4 New York’s Bruce Beck on the kind of teammate and player the Nets will be getting.

In addressing about how things ended with the Rockets by his postgame comments in what was his last game with the Rockets when asked by WCBS 2’s sports anchor Otis Livingston, Harden said that he “was not disrespectful to anyone,” especially to Wall and Cousins.

“Those guys [Wall and Cousins], they just got there to Houston. I’ve been there for a very long time. I’ve been through all the ups and downs with that organization. And I wasn’t disrespectful towards anyone. I just made a comment that the team as a whole wasn’t good enough to compete for a title. At the stage of my career where I am now, that what I would love.”  

When Marks took the Nets Gm job nearly five years ago, he said that he looked forward to creating a culture that was unified in the process of building a consistent winner.

What Marks inherited then was a team that put all its future assets of three future First-Round draft picks (2014-2016, and 2018) and the option to swap a 2017 First-Round draft pick on the table on June 27, 2013 when they acquired future Hall of Famers Kevin Garnett and current NBA on ESPN studio analyst Paul Pierce, who were past their prime years.

When the Nets finally got their front office business in order, the Nets had the salary cap room to get Durant, via sign-and-trade with the Golden State Warriors, while also signing Irving.

On Thursday, the Nets acquired James Harden, which like in the aforementioned summer of 2013 cost them much of their depth in LeVert, Allen, and Kurucs, and future assets.

“When you have the opportunity to add James Harden to your roster, you’re certainly going to do your due diligence, and you’re going to do everything you possibly can to make that happen,” Mark said on Thursday in his virtual presser. “We know what James is capable, you know, on the court. We’ve seen that.”

“When you’re bringing in, you know, an MVP, First-[Team] [All]-NBA team caliber player, he’s so eager to get on the court with these guys and be a part of this and start fresh.”   

“They understand there’s without a doubt going to be some nights where one or two need to sacrifice for the other and so forth,” Marks said. “But I think they’re all looking for that common goal. We’re all looking for that common goal, you know, as I said before to be the last team standing.” 

Just like back in 2013, the Brooklyn Nets swung for the fences with the goal of winning a title with the signings of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in the summer of 2019, and the acquisition of James Harden from the Houston Rockets on Thursday.

Harden, like it or not proved to be the second-best player in Rockets history behind the aforementioned Olajuwon. Olajuwon though delivered back-to-back titles for the Rockets in the 1994 and 1995. While Harden got the Rockets to the Western Conference Finals twice in 2015 and 2018, they lost to the Warriors in five and seven games respectably.

He also has a slew of bad finishes in the closeout games in the playoffs. He had 14 points on 2 for 11 shooting with a single-game playoff record 12 turnovers in the 104-90 setback Game 5 at the Warriors in the 2015 Western Conference Finals. Two years later in the 2017 West Semifinals, Harden came up short again with 10 points (tied a season-low) on again 2 for 11 shooting with six turnovers in the 114-75 Game 6 loss versus the Spurs. In Game 7 of the 2018 West Finals versus the Warriors, Harden went 2 for 13 from three-point range in the 101-92 loss to the eventual NBA champions, as the Rockets missed 27 straight three-pointers at one point in the game. Harden missed 10 straight threes during that stretch. In Game 6 of the 2019 Semis against the Warriors, Harden went 11 for 25 from the field, including 6 for 15 from three-point range for 35 points, but was just 7 for 12 from the foul line with six turnovers, including two the final 1:30 of the game as the Warriors on Game 6 118-113 and the series in six games.

Sacrifice, attention to detail at the defensive end, and a determination to not get distracted by their critics is how the Nets will have a chance to win a title with Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden as their star trio.

This is especially important for Harden because Durant and Irving already have an NBA title on his NBA career resumes, with Durant earning two with the Warriors. Harden’s reputation took a major he exited the Rockets has taken a major hit and it seems like helping the Nets win a title is the only way he can repair his reputation.

The Nets have the talent, led by Durant, Irving, and Harden to be special. Will they have the determination, focus, and commitment to make that a reality? We shall see.   

Information, statistics, and quotations are courtesy of 2020 NBA Free Agency and Trade: Latest Buzz, News and Reports via www.espn.com from Oct. 21-Dec. 8, 2020; 1/13/2021 3 p.m. “NBA: The Jump” on ESPN with Rachel Nichols, Malika Andrews, Kendrick Perkins, and Zach Lowe; 1/14/2021 1 a.m. NBATV’s “Gametime,” with Chris Miles, Candace Parker, and Brendan Haywood; 1/14/2021 www.nba.com story, “Nets Acquire James Harden In Blockbuster Trade;” 1/14/2021 3 p.m. “NBA: The Jump” on ESPN with Rachel Nichols, Richard Jefferson, and Robert Horry; 1/14/2021 12:30 a.m. ESPN’s “Sportscenter With Scott Van Pelt” from Washington, DC; 1/15/2021 www.espn.com story, “Brooklyn Nets’ Kyrie Irving To Remain Out Sat. vs. Orlando Magic Due To Protocols,” by Malika Andrews; 1/15/2021 2 a.m. ESPN’s “Sportscenter,” from Los Angeles, CA with Neil Everett and Stan Verrett; 1/15/2021 3 p.m. “NBA: The Jump” on ESPN with Rachel Nichols, David Fizdale, and Paul Pierce; https://www.espn.com/nba/stats/_/id/3992/james-harden; https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/201905100HOU.html;  https://www.nba.com/game/orl-vs-bkn-002200190; https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Brooklyn_Nets#2012-2015:_New_Era_In_Brooklyn_and_Playoff_Contention; https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Harden; https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Durant; and https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyre_Irving.

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