James Harden has been sitting on the sidelines since April 5, the Nets are waiting for his hamstring to cooperate.
Tick. Tick.
That’s the sound of time running out.
Brooklyn’s most recent game, Thursday night’s 113-109 defeat in Dallas, left just five games remaining in their regular season. Then, it’s on to the playoffs.
At the moment, the Nets look more like the unit assembled before the Harden trade. A decent team struggling to keep their two superstars on the court long enough to lead them to the postseason. That version of the Nets barely kept their heads above water while Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving teased us with flashes of their greatness.
Durant, however, was still working his way back from his own physical ailments. And even the flashy footwork of Irving, meanwhile, were not enough to sidestep the attention sent his way for games he chose not to play or media sessions he chose not to participate in.
The Nets, without Harden, were a team in need of a third superstar. And when they pulled the ripcord on the deal to bring him to Brooklyn, by sacrificing their young core and handful of future draft picks, the bottom line on their 2020-21 season changed.
A deep run in the playoffs would be great. That, however, was the expectation before Harden’s arrival. The stakes have been raised for this Nets squad. It’s championship or bust now. The clock is officially ticking.
Only one problem…
Their “Big Three” haven’t stayed on the court together long enough to look that far ahead and see them still standing when the smoke clears in July.
Throughout the season, we’ve seen flashes of what the Nets can be. We know that no one gets to their spots better than Durant. We also know how much of an automatic bucket Irving can be. And in 34 games, while Durant and Irving were in and out of the lineup, we saw what Harden’s impact did for this team.
Before his injury, he averaged 25.4 points, 11.0 assists, and 8.7 rebounds per game. And his 37.3 minutes per game underlines his role as Brooklyn’s primary facilitator in their offense.
Yes, Durant and Irving are two of the best basketball players on the planet. The Nets, however, had a just a 7-6 record when they realized they needed more help.
Since the trade, the Nets are 27-7 when Harden plays. When it’s just Durant and Irving, without Harden, they’re 7-9.
The numbers this season tell the story. This can’t work without Harden in the lineup. It can’t work the way it did when Harden was elevating the performance of Brooklyn’s role players. Nic Claxton’s emergence coincided with Harden’s increased role at point guard.
It can’t work the way they want it to. No matter how many different lineups head coach Steve Nash runs out there.
With Durant and Irving, a run in the playoffs is a strong possibility. With Harden, it’s a championship conversation again.
Brooklyn’s “Big Three” have only played seven games together this season, they’re 5-2 in those games.
Harden spoke to the media Thursday about his injury rehab. The Nets went into Dallas losers of their previous three games.
He told reporters he’s working on his conditioning, changing speeds, and changing directions, and adding that he feels “really good”. He remains “very confident” that he’ll be back before the postseason.
Hamstrings are tricky, all Harden needs to do is talk with Durant about that. The Nets, meanwhile, left Dallas losers of four consecutive games. They’re now 2 1/2 games back of Philadelphia for the No. 1 seed in the East.
And the clock, well, it’s still ticking.
Image: David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images
