It has been nearly a month since the Nets pulled off the megadeal for James Harden, but the team still hasn’t been able to fully realize its Big 3.
From injuries to quarantine to personal leave, Harden, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving have averaged just over a start per week together. They haven’t played together since an impressive Feb. 2 win over the Clippers, but the trio hopes to be reunited Saturday, when Durant is expected to make his return to Golden State.
The terrific trio have looked good on the court together (they’re 4-1 as starters), but the Nets are waiting for the day when they look truly great — like the superteam they bargained for.
“[Harden] is in a much better shape than when he got here; he’ll probably get in better condition as the season goes, as well,” coach Steve Nash said. “It’s funny. [It’s been] four weeks already, Kevin and Kai and James have played 5 ½ games, if you include the Raptors game, together.
“So it’s kind of astonishing to have him for a month and they’ve only played five [starts] together, or 5 ½ games. So lots of time [left], but we’ve got to get going here and get all three of them on the court and our complete roster going, and try to build and continually improve even if its small margins, small improvements. … If we keep getting better, we’ve got a chance to be a special team.”
The Nets agreed to the Harden deal Jan. 13, and he debuted three days later. But at that point Irving was still out following a personal leave and the ensuing quarantine.
Then they lost Durant to his second contact-tracing incident of the season, which forced another weeklong quarantine. He’s expected back when the Nets tip off a five-game Western swing with his return to the Bay Area for Saturday’s game.
“He gives the team confidence. He’s obviously one of the best players in the history of the game, but for our team, he gives us confidence. The guys look to him,” Nash said. “Whether he has the ball in his hands or doesn’t, he’s an important part of what we’re trying to do.”
The Nets are 3-0 with the Big 3 starting along with Joe Harris and DeAndre Jordan. They’re 1-0 with the trio starting with Harris and stretch-5 Jeff Green, and 0-1 using a big lineup with both Jordan and Green.
They suffered a disjointed loss to the Raptors when Durant was scratched before tipoff for contact tracing, then logged 19 minutes and finally was yanked off the court when the person he had been in contact with tested positive for COVID-19.
The Big 3 have logged 164:38 together over six games, with the Nets a plus-18 in that stretch. But they’ve lived up to their billing as fourth-quarter closers.
The Nets are a stellar plus-24 in the 41 minutes Durant, Harden and Irving have logged together over five games. Their net rating is 28.9, and their offensive rating is 148.2, the best of any trio that has played at least 40 minutes together.
Still, they can get better as Harden not only gets in better shape, but also gets more aggressive — both in communicating defensively and asserting himself while Durant and Irving are on court.
“That’s my job. I have to do a better job of just communicating and maybe watching more film, communicating more on where guys should be, just using my voice more so guys can be in their spots,” Harden said. “So, as one of the leaders of this team, I’ve got to do a better job communicating: And I will be.”
Harden had a couple of animated talks with Jordan during Tuesday’s loss in Detroit, and the center responded with a double-double in Wednesday’s win over the Pacers at Barclays Center. When Harden harnesses the same aggression playing with Durant and Irving as he does on the second unit, it’ll unlock the Big 3’s potential.
“Ultimately, we want to get to a place where all three are playing basketball together offensively instead of taking turns. … In theory, he should be just as aggressive when they’re in the lineup,” Nash said. “An aggressive James is the way we want him to play.”
This trip offers the Nets — and the rest of the NBA — a chance to see that.
“That’s going to help us on the floor, being able to just build that chemistry with guys,” Jordan said. “And obviously once we get Kevin back from his timeout, we’ll incorporate. This road trip will be good for us.”