NEW YORK – James Harden is starting five games in his tenure with the Brooklyn Nets, and is starting to catch up or score Rubik’s Cube.
After Harden scored just ten points through the Miami Quarter through three quarters on Monday, Harden scored 10 points in the final quarter and finished 98-85 with 20 points and eight assists in the Nets’ 98-85 victory. The attempt to solve his role puzzle, Harden said, is ‘the best part’ of his first few weeks in Brooklyn.
“I was in a role for eight years, and I controlled the ball, I dominated the ball,” Harden said, referring to his time in Houston with the Rockets. “Now it’s a different experience for me, but it’s still great.”
Harden was achieving his best performance in a calendar year. On Saturday, he had just 12 points in the first of two games against the Heat, but the Nets found solace in his facilitation. In Monday’s game, Harden finished with double-digit assistants in every game in which he played for Brooklyn.
Kevin Durant, who finished with 20 points and 13 rebounds, said Harden’s performance against Miami was the ‘perfect balance’ to score and facilitate. “It feels like he’s just transferred to a new school and he’s trying to figure out the curriculum,” Durant said. “And it’s going to take some time to figure out who your teammates are, what your rotations are in the game, when to be aggressive, when to score, succeed.”
He continued: “As a scorer and the focal point of your offense, sometimes the balance between scoring and passing – you have to notice it every night.”
Steve Nash said he is confident that Harden, with more time to build up chemistry and get in better shape, will continue to improve the balance.
“I’m lucky I can do more than just one thing on the basketball court,” Harden said. “So, it’s fun. Like I said before, it’s a game within the game. You have to pick and choose when to be aggressive, when to get your shooters going, when to get KD and Kyrie on. to get going. “