The Brooklyn Nets slip from their no.1 standing in the eastern conference. Kyrie Irving returns after an eight-month absence. Kevin Durant emerges as the front runner for the MVP and scoring title and James Harden is back.
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Welcome to The SportsRush Mailbag.
With 41-games into the season, the Nets look like a solid contender to win the east. Kyrie Irving makes his controversial return to the roster. However, the former NBA champion can only play away games. Kevin Durant may be on the quest of winning the MVP and scoring title.
Nets point guard James Harden has somewhat found consistency. The likes of Cam Thomas and Day’Ron Sharpe step up while the Nets play with a short-handed roster.
Breaking down what impressed and what was a miss
What impressed
Without diving too much into detail, we shall discuss the three points that stood out so far.
Kyrie Irving returns to the lineup after an eight-month absence.
It won’t be wrong to say that the Nets need Irving to win the chip this year. The former champion is one of the most skilled guards in the league. In his first game against the Pacers, Irving recorded 22-points on 9-for-17 shooting from the field and was 100% from the free-throw line.
Uncle Drew was off the rust only a few minutes into the game. According to various reports, Irving may find himself playing home games if the Nets are willing to pay $5K as fine per game.
Per @SBondyNYDN: If the Nets want to play unvaccinated Kyrie Irving in home games, they can if they pay these fines. pic.twitter.com/Gf3GmTL08K
— Nets Videos (@SNYNets) January 12, 2022
With Irving returning in full strength, the Nets become an offensive powerhouse and instant favorites to win the championship.
The Nets assert their dominance over top-seed Chicago Bulls.
In a highly anticipated matchup between the top two seeds of the eastern conference, the Nets dominated the Bulls, defeating them 138-112. The match went back and forth till the Slim Reaper went MVP mode in the third quarter, scoring 17-points from where the Bulls never recovered.
KD had 27-points, 9-assists, and was 7-for-10 from the field. On the other hand, Harden had a 25-point double-double that included a season-high 16-assists. The Nets outscored the Bulls 39-19 in the third quarter. Bulls guard Zach LaVine described the loss against the Nets as an “a** whooping.”
James Harden joined the ranks of Kobe Bryant, Oscar Robertson, Chris Paul, and Jerry West.
Harden is only the 10th player in NBA history to record 20,000 points, 5,000 rebounds, and 6,000 assists. In his last ten games, the three-time scoring champion has averaged 27.2 PPG, 10.6 APG, 8.3 RPG, and 1.3 SPG.
“He’s one of those very very special players, not only of his generation, but historically. And the numbers back it up” – Steve Nash on James Harden becoming the 10th player in NBA history with 20,000 points, 6,000 assists and 5,000 rebounds pic.twitter.com/wFQuNSLqjk
— Nets Videos (@SNYNets) December 28, 2021
Harden’s 36-point triple-double against LeBron James and the Lakers on Christmas made him only the 8th player in NBA history to record a triple-double on Christmas day.
Some of the other notable moments for the Nets team included the stepping up of Nic Claxton and Cam Thomas during many of the team’s players entering the league’s COVID protocols. Patty Mills is one of the best catch-and-shoot players in the league.
What didn’t impress
The Nets slipped from their dominant no. 1 position in the east.
Though the Nets had a dominant win against the Bulls recently, they have failed to defeat some of the top teams in the NBA. Durant and co are 0-2 against the Milwaukee Bucks, 0-1 against the Miami Heat, and 0-1 against the Suns and Warriors, respectively.
In what many believe, most of the Nets’ wins are against the low-seed teams in the league.
LaMarcus Aldridge and Joe Harris’ injury woes continue to be a cause of concern.
Joe Harris’ recovery from his ankle injury has taken longer than expected. The former 3-point contest winner is yet to return for practice. Head coach Nash provided the following update on Harris returning to the lineup.
“Yeah so I think he’s not full [ramp-up mode],” Nash said. “He’s not fully cleared to do everything yet. He’s got to get back to that, and he’s got to get his high-intensity stuff in. So, he’s not there yet.”
Via: NY Post
On the other hand, LaMarcus Aldridge continues to rehab from his foot soreness. The veteran was having a great season with the Nets, averaging 13.3 PPG, 5.6 RPG, and 1.1 BPG. Aldridge has been shooting an impressive 56.5% from the field so far.
The Nets continue to change their starting lineups.
Many believed with the return of Irving, the Nets would have all their issues resolved. However, the Brooklyn team is 2-3 in their last 5-games. One of the biggest dilemmas with regards to the lineup is Irving’s part-time status as a player.
Steve Nash says he could see the Nets experiment with rotations and lineups “the whole year”
“It’s really difficult to land on who we want to go with” pic.twitter.com/bdYVRd27bm
— Nets Videos (@SNYNets) January 8, 2022
“We have so many guys that are about the same. It’s really difficult to land on who we want to go with, so we’re probably going to experiment. Sometimes it’s an experiment, sometimes your hand is forced, you know, with guys being in or out of the lineup,” said head coach Nash.
