On January 13, 2021, in a blockbuster trade, The Brooklyn Nets acquired superstar and former MVP James Harden. He teams up with one of the most dominating players in the modern NBA in Kevin Durant and one of the best point guards in the game in Kyrie Irving. On paper, this looks to be the most dominant offensive big three that we’ve seen and that’s including the big three of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Kevin Durant for the Golden State Warriors. Of course with all that offensive power, how will that ball be shared? Will it work or will it cause problems in terms of chemistry with the Nets team?
Brooklyn Nets Concerns
Their Personalities
These players are all superstars but of course, have very different personalities. Now this doesn’t take away from the competitive nature of these players and it certainly doesn’t make them bad people, but it could affect how they play. Getting to know your teammates and how they think is crucial for building chemistry. In this case, it seems that it won’t take long for them to get themselves acquainted. Of course, at the same time, this is something to keep in mind because of the line of recent news that involves both Harden and Irving.
Their Play Styles
When it comes to Durant’s, Harden’s, and Irving’s playstyle, they play similarly. Their games’ put a huge emphasis on scoring and scoring a lot. Of course with KD, he can score anywhere on the floor and does not always need the ball in his hands. With Harden and Irving, it’s almost the exact same with trying to get inside and drawing fouls or shooting the three-ball. Unfortunately, the problem with all this scoring is trying to share the ball. If they find a way to make it work, this trio will be really deadly.
Who’s the Leader?
One of the most crucial aspects of every team is knowing and contributing to your roles. When it comes to this trio, they were known for being leaders and superstars for the respected teams they played for. Now they have to in a way have a shared leadership role. It’s hard to see this team have one true definitive leader with the talent they have. Expect these three to mesh very well and try to lead the rest of this team to a championship.
What we Saw in his Brooklyn Nets Debut
On January 16, 2021, Harden made his debut with the Brooklyn Nets. A game in which the Nets had an absolutely great performance in a 122-115 win over the Orlando Magic. This included a 42 point performance from Durant and a 32 point triple-double from Harden. This looks like a sample of what’s to come from this offensive explosion. But this game didn’t include Kyrie, which couldn’t mean anything but at the same time, it could affect how they could incorporate him in the offense.
Final Thoughts
So far from what we can see, it seems that the addition of Harden is working out great. Along with Kevin Durant seemingly playing better than his MVP season and coming off a torn Achilles injury, this makes it even crazier. With all these positives, of course, Kyrie hasn’t played alongside Harden yet. This is something to keep in mind until he returns for the Nets, but this team is now 2-0 with Harden. If Kyrie could fit in right away, this Brooklyn Nets team is destined for an NBA Finals.
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