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After a brief hiatus that saw LeBron James and Anthony Davis fight as a dynamic duo towards an inside-bubble league title, the era of the super team is upon us once again. The latest take on the NBA was formed on Wednesday afternoon when the Brooklyn Nets added James Harden to a squad that already included Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant. We have never seen three such competent shooters on the same team at the same time. It’s a trio that feels unique and unprecedented for a myriad of reasons, both good and bad, and how Harden fits in with his new teammates has come to the fore as a fascinating question with critical implications. .
First of all, the exciting parts. Durant and Harden are teammates for the first time since 2012, when their Oklahoma City Thunder was defeated in the NBA Finals by LeBron’s Miami Heat. Nearly a decade later, the pair combined four titles (Durant’s first three came when Harden was his teammate), two MVP trophies, and recognition cemented as two historically stellar offensive threats.
If we stopped this article here, the Nets would already have an unfair advantage against just about everyone they play. Harden and Durant are influential phenomena that demand the attention of an entire defensive unit when dribbling the ball. But there’s more: Right to the side is Irving, a breathtaking six-time All-Star who currently averages 27 points with 50/42/100 draws. He, too, is irrepressible whenever his team needs a bucket.
On paper, a list with all three should not have ceiling storage points. We know this because it goes without saying – like having to explain why pizza is delicious. But we’ve also seen Brooklyn’s attack before when Irving and Durant are playing, and it’s a thunderstorm, generating an offensive note that would rank second in the league. Add in Harden, a singular force that can hit the free throw line or his powerful three-way recoil whenever he wants, and the power of Brooklyn’s three-headed attack is uncut venom.
Not that they should or will adopt the same style of isolation that has driven Houston’s success for so many years, but for the sake of conversation, let’s just say that Brooklyn has decided to rely exclusively on the ability to Harden to resume games with efficiency, use and an unprecedented body of work. Defenses should play it one-on-one (impossible) or help Durant and Irving. Imagine those two catching Harden’s kick-off pass, driving a fence, then tearing apart an opponent who can’t charge to stop them. Teams won’t be able to blitz Harden like the Lakers did in the bubble without agreeing that Durant or Irving then have an open shot or a 4-to-3 advantage. It would be a slaughterhouse.
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Whether they’re moving the ball or bouncing from inside their own silos, each is a natural complement to the other; nothing can slow down two of those three at the same time, let alone all over the course of a seven-game series. Each is a devastatingly accurate three-point shooter who can melt an opponent off the rebound or while standing still.
Spacing won’t be an issue, and they’ll have a lot to work on assuming one of the other two starters is Joe Harris (currently making 54.4% of his spotting attempts), with Landry Shamet (a career of 40.2% three-point threat coming this season) and other capable catch-and-shoot options like Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot and Jeff Green having plenty of time to knock down open shots.
We also don’t know if / when Spencer Dinwiddie will return, and right now Brooklyn has three places open, with options like Kyle Korver, Ersan Ilyasova and JR Smith (* fingers crossed *) technically available. (Rebounders will also be in demand to fill vacancies in Brooklyn.)
Of course, with Caris LeVert no longer around to fulfill his overqualified sixth man role, Brooklyn’s most fascinating looks will not be seen until Steve Nash shifts his three superstars, although it remains to be seen. exactly who will lead the second units. a majority of the time while the other two are resting. Nash started the season with Irving and Durant together every minute of the game, but had to pivot after Dinwiddie tore his ACL.
Mike Wyke / Pool Photo / USA TODAY Sports
With Harden on board, Brooklyn could still have at least one of the three on the court. It’s firepower that no team in the NBA can match, given that no team has such an awesome line-up regardless of who’s around them. But together, if everything clicks, their potential on the pitch is frightening. Just consider how a defense would react to Harden and DeAndre Jordan performing a high pick-and-roll as Irving sets up a flare screen for KD. The answer is they would be a popsicle in a microwave. If the Nets don’t end this season with a top 3 offense, something terrible has happened.
Speaking of which, let’s talk about the more precarious angles of this new partnership. In short, these are: defense, depth, unmatched pressure and, for the Nets, the reality of knowing that their success ultimately comes down to the whims of three insightful personalities who have no choice but to merge around. of a basketball in an environment that demands sacrifice and humility. With three of their own first-round picks and four picks now held by the Houston Rockets, it can be argued that no team has ever gone all-in to win an NBA title the way the Nets just did.
Given this colossal gamble, their ability to secure saves can be a problem. Jarrett Allen, their starting center and source of full rim protection, now belongs to Irving’s former team, the Cavaliers, and it will be interesting to see if / how the Nets replace his impact. Post-defense has made its way into Harden’s redemption narrative after years of comically distant effort and outreach, but in and of itself, there’s no evidence that will matter if it isn’t. surrounded by other effective advocates who communicate, turn on a chain and instinctively help one. another.
The list is filled with weak ties for this purpose, and the loss of Taurean Prince in the four-team deal didn’t really help. Harden isn’t the stopping wing they’ll need when they face the Boston Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks, or any of the Los Angeles teams in a playoff series, and it’s easy to imagine a opponent who runs Irving and Harden through ball screens over and over again, forcing switches and chaotic mismatches from an already fragile group. Prior to Harden Trade 2.0, defense was Brooklyn’s biggest concern. Now maybe that’s his Kryptonite, especially if they still close out small matches with Green at five.
Comparing this Big 3 to Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, or Durant, Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, or LeBron, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, or LeBron, Irving and Kevin Love, there is always at least one. Member forced to accept an additional role, with fewer hits and lower hits. They have to bend over who they are and embrace the less glamorous elements of the sport without the ball in their hands.
Brooklyn has neither Love, Bosh, nor Klay; Harden may be selfless, but will he, after spending all of his time with the entire show running on his clock? Irving is the least accomplished of the three, with an offensive skill set that straddles whatever Harden now brings to the table, but he couldn’t get the defensive impact that Bosh did if he wanted to, and the praise went down. are accumulated on their ability to complete each. the other earlier in this article turns to ashes if one becomes unhappy with reduced liability.
Assuming bumps in the road given how they are so similar offensively without lifting on the other side, it’s not too early to wonder if Irving should or will be traded for a bigger fit. at some point, ie this year. or next.
And even if Irving is dealt with, the short-term pressure to win it all before Harden and Durant either age their respective primes or – more likely – enter free will in July 2022 in search of greener pastures, does will be no less overwhelming. . The organization has no future beyond these two. Unlike what the Los Angeles Clippers did two summers ago to acquire Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, it was a full bet that didn’t. need happen. The Nets were already a title contender before this trade. How will this pressure manifest itself in a locker room that does not have an obvious leader? How will this influence the decisions made by Sean Marks and Nash? Harden is 31 with a birthday in August and KD is 32 with a birthday in September. Their window will not be open for long.
But until then, their collective talent will replace any fit issues most nights, against most opponents. If their supporting cast isn’t working, they can always be reshuffled over the summer, assuming that one or two ring-chasing veterans will accept less money than they could otherwise earn.
The Nets have no culture or obvious identity on the pitch. Their chosen tempo is as much of a question mark as it is who would have the ball in 2 hands with the seconds remaining in a 7 game. That doesn’t mean they won’t get it all, but valid questions can easily become overwhelming. concerns when the stakes get as high as Brooklyn has just decided to get them.
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