No more excuses.
That will ultimately be the enduring reality behind Wednesday four-team, blockbuster trade sending disgruntled superstar James Harden to the Brooklyn Nets.
No more apologies to Harden, who left Full of Dissatisfaction to design his retirement from Houston. None for Kevin Durant. None for Kyrie Irving. None for anyone in Brooklyn.
At first glance, the move is a victory for many of those involved. The Houston Rockets have an impressive streak of four preliminary picks and a legitimate star-on-the-rise Victor Oladipo. Pair it with John Wall and their future is bright, albeit a little delayed.
Caris LeVert to the Pacers is also an impressive addition to a team that is already formidable, well-trained and capable of doing great things.
But the primary focus of this trade falls on the Nets and on Harden itself. Make no mistake: Harden’s insignificant play, behind – the – scenes respect for his teammates and organization, and the selfishness of me before the team press conference on Tuesday got him what he wanted. Now he has to prove it – and he – is all worth it.
This is far from certain.
The Nets’ amazing move is undoubtedly a gamble worthy of fistfighting and celebration for Sean Marks and his front office.
This is a victory.
This is a coup.
But it’s still a gamble, one with massive interests, an all-the-chips push in the middle with more uncertainty than the initial shock and cheering over a KD-Kyrie-Harden trio naturally promotes .
Chemistry is not as sexy as three superstars playing together, but it’s critical. Especially with three superstars playing together.
In particular, with these three superstars.
Let’s see how these ball-dominant, uber-talented players arrived here, and what happened during their trip to Brooklyn.
Durant, one of the most dynamic and dangerous basketball players on earth, received such criticism while teaming up with the Warriors Twitter surfers to defend his honor. He struggled with the love and worship Curry had there, and he was undervalued by comparison. There’s nothing wrong with these realities, but it certainly raises an eyebrow about his ability to play with other superstars.
And Irving and Harden, at least as teammates and models of basketball selfishness, are not Curry.
Irving was so unhappy under the shadow of LeBron James – the best player on earth, no less – he forced himself out of a defending champion. It’s probably good, but it does not scream “winning is the most important thing.”
Of course, he also does not simply leave his team during the season and does not have the time to tell his coach (and honor).
And we have not yet reached his time in Boston. The team that had already made it to a conference final without him, and Kyrie’s addition was a weight rather than a win. He brought more drama than danger to the Celtics’ dreams of taking the next step, and it’s better without him.
Changing rooms matter.
Irving is therefore a net, or at least a kind. We still do not know what he is doing or why he left the team, but he is still a no-show. His preseason remarks that the Nets did not really have a coach – yikes, Steve Nash – were almost prophetic. Substitute ‘me’ for ‘coach’ and he wants to do something.
And in this situation, Harden steps in, whose usage level will make Kobe Bryant blush. Again: That’s fine … if it works.
But Harden’s ugly exit from Houston comes after he failed to coexist (and eventually reached an NBA Finals) with Chris Paul and then with his longtime friend Russell Westbrook.
So yes, the talent in Brooklyn is a thing to behold. If these three players play together, willing to sacrifice, focused on the goal of the greatness of the team before the evening-to-night draw of individual excellence, they will, to say the least, be extremely difficult to contains.
There’s just too much offensive firepower. And the list behind them, even with LeVert and Jarrett Allen, is deep and impressive.
But they are also three players who have shown in different ways that they are not only sensitive to criticism, but also to the need to work with other stars. Durant certainly did it with great success, but if the Warriors culture rubs you the wrong way, good luck with Kyrie and the Beard.
Harden is the best example here, and the person on whom the most weight will fall. He had his time in Houston time and time again until one day he woke up miserable with the world he had cultivated for himself. His answer? Turn off his phone, appear late and out of form this season, play like it does not matter, and finally insult his team and literally get up and walk away.
Maybe the player linked to Durant and Kyrie will be unstoppable. Perhaps he will be born again, focused, selfless, part of a Big Three that will dominate the East and chase rings with devotion. Maybe they will be unstoppable. Or maybe, after some time and stress together, people in Brooklyn would just want everything to stop.
Both options are possible, and neither is guaranteed. But whatever happens, there are no more excuses.
It’s the most talented trio in the NBA – one of the most talented in NBA history – and if that does not work, no one in Brooklyn will be blamed as three stars who actually got exactly what they asked for: each other.