The Brooklyn Nets assembled one of the greatest big threes in NBA history. 2019 offseason additions Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving were joined by James Harden. While it has not gone to plan, completely, the Nets are still powerhouses of the Eastern Conference. They were one three-pointer away from the NBA Finals last season, and look destined to be in the conversation again. The Kyrie Irving drama, combined with the slow start of James Harden, certainly set them back. However, led by an MVP-worthy Kevin Durant season, the Nets are looking to bring a title to the Barclays Center. Here are two reasons why the Nets are title contenders.

Nets title contenders 

Kevin Durant playing like an MVP 

The former MVP Kevin Durant looks to pick up his third chip and first in Brooklyn. After two championships with the Golden State Warriors, and an Achilles injury that he suffered in the 2019 NBA Finals, Durantula looks better than ever. With the Nets, he has been historic this season. Even through the Kyrie Irving vaccination situation, Durant was able to steady the ship and get the Nets over the hump in some games. While he has some competition in the MVP conversation, that does not negate that Durant has really been dominant this year.

Overall, Kevin Durant is averaging 29.9 points, 7.8 rebounds, 5.8 assists, shooting 51.9% from the field and 37.0% from three. These numbers are akin to his MVP season in 2013-14 when he averaged more points but shot a worse percentage from the field. Generally, he has bailed out the Nets so many times this season, due to his ability to get buckets. Durant's knack to just hit a huge shot without any hesitation is his best quality. His mid-range is almost unguardable, as his long arms and lanky body do not give an inch to his defenders. His three-point shot is suffering slightly this season, but he hits them when the Nets need it most.

The most fascinating bit about Durant is really his ability to stay on the floor and play huge minutes, even as he went through a very serious injury a couple of years back. The Nets need him as much as possible, especially when guys like Harden, LaMarcus Aldridge, and Patty Mills struggle. Thus, he has been playing 37.1 minutes per contest this year, which puts him second in the NBA, behind Fred VanVleet. This is risky for Brooklyn, obviously, but the squad relies on his talent to get the ball in the basket whenever needed. That is a skill that possibly just Kyrie Irving has on the roster, other than Durant, but he can only play away games.

With Kyrie Irving coming back, at least for games not in New York or San Francisco, Kevin Durant should have a smaller offensive workload. That should translate into fewer minutes, but his magnificent season will remain the primary reason why the Nets are title contenders. Obviously, with so many minutes and a history of injuries, it could all go south for the Nets in the playoffs, but Durant is giving them a great foundation with this season and he is the reason why the Nets can tussle with the best of them

The resurgence of James Harden and the return of Kyrie Irving 

James Harden started the season in a very poor manner. The offseason changes concerning personal fouls impacted him in a major way and the Beard needed some time to get going. Now, while nowhere near his Houston Rockets MVP days, Harden is contributing to the Nets effort in a major way. He is the primary ball-handler and distributor, and his job is to make sure that all offensive weapons are put in the right spot so they can thrive. Harden is doing his job in a great way, averaging 9.7 assists. While his offensive numbers, other than the assists, are nothing to celebrate, Harden is still one of the key reasons why Nets fans have hope this season.

The return of Kyrie Irving against the Indiana Pacers a couple of nights back was a heavily anticipated event. After it was announced, the whole NBA was interested to see how Irving will look upon returning. He scored 22 points on over 50% shooting, had some early jitters, but generally played well and it is clear that the Nets finally have their big three – if only for away games. Irving will be the secondary scorer, next to Kevin Durant, while Harden will be the floor general. It looked good for the Nets, albeit it was against the lowly Pacers.

The Brooklyn Nets need to use the remainder of this season to really get their big three going. It will not be easy, as they will only have it away from the Barclays Center, but Irving will continue to be a part of the team in the home environment, through practices. This time should be used to really figure out what the game plan is for this season, as the championship window is closing. Due to the quality of the roster, the Nets have a prime opportunity to win the NBA title, so it will be up to them to bring the chip to Brooklyn for the first time in the history of the franchise.