“Even scarier hours this year!”: James Harden declares Brooklyn Nets’ readiness to mount 2021-22 NBA title challenge vs LeBron James’ Lakers among others

Advait Jajodia | 27/09/2021
"At their current state, can the Brooklyn Nets even secure a playoff berth?" Since Kevin Durant's injury, they have been 2-7 despite having the services of James Harden and Kyrie Irving

During his Media Day interview, James Harden warns the league that the Brooklyn Nets are an even dangerous team than last season.

Entering the 2020-2021 season, the Brooklyn Nets, behind their superstar duo of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving were one of the title-favourites. And during the course of the campaign, after acquiring superstars like James Harden and Blake Griffin, the Nets immediately became one of the deadliest teams we’ve ever witnessed.

With the Harden, Durant, Irving-trio a majority of analysts and basketball enthusiasts labelled them “the team to beat” for the 2021 Larry O’Brien. Despite all the injuries the players of the star-studded team sustained throughout the season, Brooklyn finished their regular season with a 48-24 record, entering the postseason with a 2nd seed.

After handing Jayson Tatum’s Boston Celtics a 4-1 gentlemen’s sweep in the first round, Steve Nash’s side managed to blow away a 3-2 series lead against the later champions Milwaukee Bucks. Apart from Harden’s tragic hamstring injury and despite all of KD’s heroics (5.4 points, 10.6 rebounds and 5.4 assists) in the second round, the Nets were literally inches away from entering the playoffs.

Also Read: NBA Twitter reacts as Nets star adds to his bag to help the Nets win

“It’s going to get even scarier this year”: James Harden

Sadly, the Nets didn’t quite get the results they were hoping for last year. However, in a pretty busy offseason for them, the front office has managed to surround Harden, KD and Kai with a bunch of talented role players. Signing a few veterans like Patty Mills, LaMarcus Aldridge, Paul Millsap, among many other players, somehow, Brooklyn is looking like an even stronger team than before.

During Brooklyn’s Media Day, The Beard was asked about the “scary hours” he had once stated last year, and whether or not he believed the situation was different. The 2018 NBA MVP warned the league:

“Oh yeah for sure. It’s going to be even scarier. It’s even scarier, man. Just because of some of the pieces we added to this team. You know there are times where, throughout the course of the game, you got guys that are battle-tested and who you can trust, who you can go war with.”

Also Read: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar slams Kyrie Irving, Jonathan Isaac, Andrew Wiggins and the NBA’s other anti-vaxxers for misinformed stance

Entering the 2021-2022 season, the Nets are surely the strong favourites to lift the 2022 Larry O’Brien trophy. However, with rival teams like the Lakers, too, assembling a monstrous team over this offseason, the upcoming campaign will definitely be an entertaining one.

Post Edited By: Advait Jajodia
Brooklyn Nets James Harden

About the author

Avatar photo

Advait Jajodia

Advait Jajodia, an NBA and Tennis journalist for The SportsRush, has had a passion for both sports for over a decade. His admiration for Kobe Bryant, Stephen Curry, and Rafael Nadal pushed him to gain a profound understanding of the sports. With a background as a multi-sport athlete, Advait uses his experience on the hardwood and the court to offer insightful analysis. Over four years of dedicated sports journalism has equipped the 22-year-old with a unique perspective, reflected in his prolific portfolio of 4,700+ articles.

Don’t miss these