After the Brooklyn Nets' big win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday, Portland Trail Blazers guard CJ McCollum reminded everyone how good James Harden and Kevin Durant are.
Via Twitter, McCollum gave his honest assessment of the trade that sent Harden to the Nets. He also highlighted the fact that Durant is one hell of an elite offensive gunner.
People just wanted to dismiss the fact that James cold blooded. Real hooper. . Side note: KD still unstoppable. When he miss it’s just bc he missed not bc someone stopped him.
— CJ McCollum (@CJMcCollum) January 19, 2021
With Harden in the fold, the Nets have won two straight games. While this doesn't fully reveal if the team has gotten better with the Beard, their win against the Bucks is a great sign of things to come.
In Monday's 125-123 win, Harden had 34 points, 12 assists, and six rebounds. Durant, for his part, had 30 points, nine rebounds, six assists, and two blocks. Durant also hit a 3-pointer with less than 40 seconds left in the game that gave the Nets a two-point lead.
McCollum's tweet is in response to critics who believe that the Harden-Nets team-up will not work. Many believe that Harden's ball-dominant playstyle will disrupt whatever chemistry the Nets are developing now. As for Durant, there are questions as to whether he'll be as lethal as he was before the Achilles injury in the 2019 NBA Finals.
So far, the Nets are doing good with their new star. Time will only tell if they can maintain this streak.
Note that they are still without Kyrie Irving — a player that could further elevate Brooklyn into a legitimate title contender. Reports reveal that Irving could finally play on Wednesday and Friday against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The NBA season has been a fascinating place in this first month of play following the Orlando bubble conclusion to the 2020 season. The short offseason and the lack of a summer league to give younger players an acclimation period — among other things — have created a lot of volatile results and wildly fluctuating outcomes. None of this even begins to mention the effects of COVID-19 and cross-country travel on the season and the players who are participating in it. Brooklyn is just one piece of this 30-team puzzle, trying to find its way.
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