Over the last couple of games, James Harden hasn't been looking like his old self. Instead of unleashing a series of dribbling moves for his deadly step-back jumper or an unstoppable drive to the hoop, Harden has been looking to let Kyrie Irving or Kevin Durant carry the scoring chores.
This strategy worked on Monday as the Brooklyn Nets beat the Miami Heat. But The Beard's reticence to take more shots worried coach Steve Nash for a bit. He believes though that Harden will return to his usual offensive-minded form in the coming games since the former MVP is still adjusting (via ESPN).
“Would I like James to be more aggressive? Yes. Will he be more aggressive in time? I think so. I think once he gets more comfortable with his teammates, when he gets in better shape, when he's adapted to this whole new environment, we'll see an improved James scoring the ball.”
In the Nets' 98-85 victory over the Heat, Harden scored 20 points on just 7-of-10 from the field and 3-of-5 from long range. These numbers look starkly different from his days with the Houston Rockets where he averaged over 20 attempts from the field and over 10 attempts from downtown.
Nash was correct in his assessment as Harden shared the same sentiments on his lack of aggressiveness. Despite the win, Harden admitted he wasn't offensive-minded enough.
“I think I wasn't very aggressive throughout the course of the game.”
James Harden has a chance to unleash his usual arsenal when the Nets face the Atlanta Hawks on Thursday to start their three-game road trip.
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