One of the biggest questions following the trade that brought James Harden to the Brooklyn Nets was how his addition would impact the team's chemistry. Kevin Durant had a very strong answer to that following Harden's debut.
Kevin Durant says that the Nets' veteran experience and high-basketball IQ will be huge for this team. He believes that will help them all get on the same page. He said there have already been moments where certain things are communicated without needing to say a thing.
— Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) January 17, 2021
He may be right about the second part. In Harden's first game, he showed his ability to mold his game to help the Nets. He finished with a triple-double, scoring 32 points while grabbing 12 rebounds and dishing out 14 assists. The 14 dimes are the most important, with many analysts worrying about how three stars, who have been criticized at times for being selfish, can coexist and all get their shots.
So far, Durant and Harden appear as though they can work together to win. The big test will come once Kyrie Irving returns to the team. Kevin Durant appears to be confident that Irving will be able to assimilate himself to the new system quickly. Only time will tell if he is right.
Following the three-way trade which sent Harden to Brooklyn, the Nets are now considered one of the favorites in the Eastern Conference as well as the entire NBA. How far they go this year, however, will all be based on how quickly the team can build chemistry together.
One of the big questions is how long Irving will be away from the team plus his mindset upon return. While the Nets have to be considered favorites at least in the East, if history is a guide, super-teams do not normally win it all in their first year together. The Nets will look to buck that trend.
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