Since James Harden arrived in Brooklyn, and even before that, the Nets have not shied away from their aspirations for the championship.
But Harden recently put them in plain sight.
“We are more than confident that it will be difficult for a team to beat us four times in a best series of seven,” Harden told ESPN Rachel Nichols in an interview broadcast on Friday. “I’m excited about it and it’s only been a month. We are all trying to reach a goal and this is an NBA championship. “
Saturday’s game at the Warriors will mark Harden’s 14th game with the Nets, but only the seventh with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving on the floor with him. The Nets are 4-2 when their big 3 are combined.
The Nets will be without the DeAndre Jordan center on Saturday as it addresses a personal problem. Coach Steve Nash said the Nets hope Jordan will join them again during the five-game trip and continue testing for COVID-19 in the meantime, which would allow him to play immediately when he is ready.
Jeff Green will likely slide into the small ball center position – a role he has played frequently this season – especially with the Warriors losing center James Wiseman (wrist).
“Let’s hope this isn’t the kiss of death, but in reality the Warriors game is a team that is playing extremely small now with all of their true centers out,” said Nash. “So, I don’t want to say it’s a fluke, because it’s a very difficult team to defend, but it could have been a difficult match for a traditional center anyway.”
The Nets also signed the Norvel Pelle and Noah Vonleh centers.
Some players talked about the mental strain this season has affected them, with the COVID-19 protocols not allowing much more than going to the arena for games or the team’s training facilities. Durant has a different perspective.
“I mean [shoot], it’s not that bad, ”he said. “We are getting millions of dollars to do something we love every day. We will find out the rest. “
These protocols also create opportunities for team unity, especially on a trip to the West as the Nets are embarking, more difficult in the traditional sense.
“In the good old days, I would put my credit card behind the counter and tell the guys to go out and have fun,” said Nash. “But this hasn’t been happening at COVID for a while, so we will have to find creative ways to continue to grow and find that link.”
Nic Claxton (right knee tendinopathy) will travel with the Nets and is expected to eventually start working with his “stay-ready” group.