After navigating their way through a rough start to the season, Kevin Durant, James Harden, and the rest of the Brooklyn Nets have looked more comfortable in recent games. On Wednesday night, they protected home court with a convincing 117-108 win over the Atlanta Hawks.

What seemed like a nip-and-tuck affair in the first half turned into a one-sided contest in the third quarter after Durant scored 13 of his game-high 32 points in the salvo. He also added seven rebounds and five assists in yet another efficient all-around showing.

In contrast, Harden struggled again from the field, missing nine of his 14 shots. He ended up with 16 points, four rebounds, and 11 assists. Despite his less-than-ideal performance, Harden expressed optimism about the overall outlook of the Nets (via ESPN).

“We're finding that rhythm, we're finding each other and it's just getting a lot easier.”

While that sounds great, of course, the (unvaccinated) elephant in the room is Kyrie Irving. Some believe he'd return sooner than later after new New York Mayor Eric Adams said he'd revisit the city's COVID-19 mandates. If Irving returns, there's no denying that the Nets will have to readjust once again. For a rotation that's just starting to get a rhythm, that could be quite an issue.

There's no question, however, that the Nets will be even scarier with Kyrie Irving in the fold. But hearing James Harden's remark might rub the enigmatic guard the wrong way, especially with his radical view of things.

Nets fans could only hope for the best.