The Big Three in Brooklyn were reduced to a Big Zero, with the Nets eliminating James Harden from Wednesday’s game in Utah, in large part to protect him from himself.
After suffering a neck injury on Sunday, Harden was in doubt during the warm-up before the game on Tuesday in Portland, before finally getting dressed. But questionable again a day later against Jazz, the Nets put him in position in hopes of keeping him healthy for Friday in Detroit – and beyond.
“I hope it will be short-term,” said coach Steve Nash. “To be honest, I’m sure James would like to play [in Utah]. But he is not. I don’t think it’s safe for him to play, and I think sometimes you have to protect him from yourself. He is a warrior and a competitor and loves to play.
“But he was questionable for [Tuesday], played a ton of minutes. I could see that it was difficult for him to kick the ball, but he obviously dominated in other ways. But I think [Wednesday] it was the smartest and safest decision to protect him from himself and get him out of the squad because he’s fighting. It is very sore. I hope he comes back in the next game, but we will have to see the day to day here. “
Harden dominated Portland with 25 points and 17 assists on Tuesday, but hit just 7 out of 24 – and 0 out of 7 from bottom. The trend continued to worsen. Harden hit 48.4 percent in the first half of the season and 40.1 percent in 3, but saw those drop to 38.8 percent and 15.4 percent in the second. It is questionable whether fatigue and a neck injury affected his shot.
“I’m sure it affected it a little. … He hasn’t thrown the ball well since the break, ”said Nash. “He still played very well and was dominant, but his neck didn’t help. But we had to protect him from himself. He still wants to try to play.
“I’m telling you, he is in pain. The problem with playing when you’re not right is what else can go wrong. So it’s just a dangerous situation. He has struggled with it and it is very important that we protect him, because we are going to need him and he demands a lot from him. “
Both Harden’s story and his comments give credence to conservative Nets having to protect him from himself.
“[Wednesday] when i wake up, if i feel i can go, i will go. It’s that simple, ”said Harden, citing the fact that the Nets needed him while playing shorthanded without Kevin Durant (hamstring) and Kyrie Irving (family matter).
“Everything is not going to be perfect, whether it’s playing with injuries or playing with injuries. … Obviously, when you are hurt, you are hurt; you sit outside. I try to go outside, make an impact and play if I can, if I’m not risking anything. “
Brooklyn chose not to allow Harden to put himself at risk. Clearly, his desire to play cannot be questioned. The 870 games played by Harden are the most played in the NBA since his debut in 2009, and his 38.0 minutes on average this season are the best in the league.
With Durant and Irving in and out of the squad, Harden set up an MVP-worthy campaign that had Charles Barkley – who loudly doubted the exchange when it happened – saying he could be the best player in the world.
“He has to be up there. This guy is brilliant, ”said Nash. “He loves to play, an incredible passion for the game, a great competitor, durable, and you see the way he manipulates the game. He runs the show, he makes his teammates better. He is a historically elite ace. And he is also a top scorer and sniper historically.
“The other thing is that he has great hands and steals. He’s a big rebound, an incredible rebound for a guard. He is also a very smart quarterback and quarterbacks often. So, James is brilliant. And I could go on indefinitely. He’s an incredible basketball player. And it is a joy to be able to train and observe him every day ”.
ESPN painted the Lakers as the favorite to reach the potential Nets acquisition target, Andre Drummond. Pelican guard JJ Redick is more likely to land in Brooklyn with the 36-year-old who owns a condominium in DUMBO and his wife preferring Brooklyn as their destination.
Steve Nash considered it “doubtful” that Landry Shamet (ankle) would join the Nets on Friday in Detroit.