Harden's just not able to be fully engaged / effective if he's not the main playmaker. And as the lead playmaker, he is amazing. He and Kyrie are just a terrible combination. Well, Kyrie and anybody has been a terrible combination the last few years.
This is not the Harden I know.... Rockets Harden would have spanked that Cavs team. Something is going on....
That was the whole thing though. "Sacrifice", "Share the ball". That's why so many people don't think it will work. Tonight it was just 2 guys on the court taking turns playing 1v1 basketball, and not playing any defense.
He looks like such a ball hog man, its crazy. Harden looked like their best player these last two games before he got their....man I thought this would be way more smooth than I thought.
Can't blame kyrie for the offense. He used 27 possession to score 38 points. That's a 73+% ts. Harden could've been more assertive but that wouldn't solve their key problems defense and rebounding. Both were terrible.
The offense is better though because Harden can create for others. Harden was a -2 tonight. Kyrie was a minus 11
To interject about another former Rocket for a second: Clint Capela has a 13, 19, and 10 triple double tonight ......carry on.....
Nets got their first real look at disinterested Harden tonight. It's amazing, when he isn't the focal point, it never works. Doesn't matter who he's on the court with.
I would have traded Harden for a Simmons package. He's special. He contributes greatly to winning in ALL other ways but scoring even though he can score. The way the Nets are looking, they are the favorites to win the East with him as their second-best player and averaging whatever he's averaging in points.
+/- for single games aren't conclusive or even meaningful data. The stat doesn't become useful according to nba analytics until at least half a season or more games of data. Otherwise the noise from chance, abberation, lineups, runs, etc will not only affect but become the data. Kyrie had a great offensive performance. Harden could've scored more. My point was clear, thier problem was defense and rebounding.
they gonna need kyrie in playoffs when scoring becomes difficult and at the end of games when harden cant move his feet
