Kinda weird how BKN can't close teams out, despite having both KD and Kyrie. I haven't exactly been watching BKN games, but they're losing close games, it seems like. At least by the box score. I feel like this recent slide doesn't have that much to do with Harden's absence, but I could be wrong.
KD and Kyrie don’t really make guys better...neither can facilitate an offense anywhere near as good as Harden KD and Kyrie had 7 combined assists tonight...Harden by himself will give u at least 10 Harden gets all the bigs easy baskets and the role players more involved Harden is also their best rebounder by rpg...he will actually use his big body and at least box out, and he’ll use his quick hands to get steals and deflections BK keeps losing without him, and let’s not forget that GS was a .500 team when they were led by KD with Steph Curry out with injury...no team led by Harden is ever going .500 like GS with KD and no Steph or below .500 like BK, Idc who’s in and out of the lineup...but that’s none of my business
he was second in bbref mvp tracker before his injury. Looks like they knew something everybody else didnt
Harden is what makes the whole thing work together. Like right now the Nets have some great, elite individual pieces. But they are the sum of their parts, at best. That's still a good team, but also a team that could easily get bounced in the second round. I've said it before and I'll say it again, Harden is a force multiplier. He can take those separate pieces and make them into a cohesive whole. You can argue about which Nets player is individually "greatest", but there should be no doubt now that Harden is the most important. All great teams are greater than the sum of their parts. Harden is the key to that for the Nets.
If Harden is getting double teamed at half court someone is wide open, and Harden will find them. That's Harden making everyone else better, like I said.
That's the great thing. They have 2 players that literally are unstoppable in 4 on 3 situations. Actually they are unstoppable in 4 on 4 situations with all that space. If Harden is trapped at half court than Kyrie and Durant will be unstoppable every game versus every few games.
I'd agree, if Brooklyn looked lost on the floor. But the past 3 games (Bucks, Bucks, Mavs) have been against a great team and another playoff team. And the 3 games have all been close. Obviously, they'd most likely be wins with Harden in the lineup, but because they only lost the past 3 games by a combined 13 points, means KD and Kyrie need to step it up and be better. Why they lost the 3 games, I dunno. But the primary reason isn't due to Harden's absence. Also keep in mind that before this 4-game losing streak, they had a 4-game winning streak. So it's not like 'BKN without Harden' is complete garbage.
I am not saying this is not so but I don't see how you can definitely say it is not due Hardens absence. I watched that 2nd Bucks game and having Harden down the stretch would have made a huge difference and with these games all being close I think he makes that difference of 5 or so points just because of the easy baskets he gets everybody and creates so many more mismatches.
Nick Wright is the worst, he concocts the worst takes on any topic that could get connected to LeBron in any way to support his man, but his take on the Nets being overrated and due for a fall is solid no matter if it also comes from his need to get LeBron's approval. They just ain't built right. I can't see Harden being their savior. I see the pressure of massive expectations and the lack of defense, rebounding, and cohesion bringing them down. Just saying so people could start tempering their expectations and prepare themselves for Silver/LeBron shenanigans or surprise injuries/Covid violations.
Unfortunately KD is going to put up insane scoring stats in the Finals, if they make it, and steal Harden’s Finals MVP.
