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Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Nets newcomer James Harden are all used to leading their teams, scoring points and setting records. How will they share, move from the status of hierarchical leader to that of good soldiers?
“Chemistry. Sacrifice,” Harden said Friday. “We’re all elite, so depending on the game and what happens throughout the game, that’s going to determine who gets the ball and who plays.
“We are all selfless, we are all willing passers-by and we play basketball the right way.”
Harden is questionable for his debut against the Magic on Saturday at Barclays Center. He and coach Steve Nash continued to use the word “sacrifice” on Friday, as general manager Sean Marks had done the day before. Harden knows he can’t play the same way he has in the past and expects to win the ultimate prize.
“We have two elite goal scorers that the world is already familiar with,” said Harden. “My job is to come out and obviously score the ball when it’s needed, but my ability to play – in terms of our shooters’ shots and our big finishes around the rim and improving the whole thing. ‘team – this is one aspect of my game that will excel in this offense.
“As long as I improve my teammates, whatever the points are. Everyone knows I can score the ball with a good shot, and that’s where the sacrifice comes in. ”
Harden has won the last three titles to play in Houston, pushing isolating basketball to extremes never seen before. The Nets are clearly going to be iso-heavy with this Big 3, but Harden will have to dribble less and pass more.
“Yeah, that’s gonna be a fit for him,” Nash said. “He’s been playing the same role for many years now, in the same way, in the same style. So he will be able to emulate that in one way, but in another way he will have to adapt to play with other guys, namely Kevin and Ky.
Why would anyone think Harden will change his game?
Harden’s isolations have gone from 14.1 possessions to just six, and his assist ratio (30 per 100 possessions) and assist-to-roll ratio (2.44) are career highs.
But most tellingly, he rejected a two-year, $ 100 million extension to move from Houston to Brooklyn. After chasing money earlier in his career, Harden now says he’s chasing his first ring.
“[When I was] younger, giving me a chance, but wanting to be paid and taking care of my family was very, very important to me, ”said Harden. “Now at this point in my career I’m giving myself a chance to do something that I haven’t yet accomplished in this league. It’s very important to me now and that’s the situation I’m in, and that’s why I’m here in Brooklyn.
Harden is not the only one who has to adapt.
Over the past 10 seasons, Irving’s 42.5 clutch-time utilization rate has been at the top of the NBA. Durant and Harden were tied for third at 39.7.
“They won’t have the same volume they’re used to,” Nash said. “But they’re all excited about the opportunity to play with other great players.”
Durant is a two-time MVP of the Finals, while Irving knocked out the most iconic winner of Final 7 of the past decade. If Harden wants his own ring, he will have to make other changes. Over the years his defense has been called into question, and this season he has entered the camp out of form.
When asked how his conditioning was, Harden replied, “Great!” with a half smile, a smirk. But he said external doubt cannot motivate him more than it is.
“I’m as motivated as they come. I don’t care about defense and conditioning [talk] because everyone starts out the same when it comes to training camp, so it doesn’t matter to me, ”said Harden. “I don’t really pay attention to it. I know I’m one of the best basketball players we have in this league. My job is to go out and focus on what we’re supposed to be doing every night.
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