Nothin' But Nets
Fansided

Brooklyn Nets: Jay Williams on James Harden’s MVP and how to use KD

By Adam Weinrib

NEW YORK, NY - DECEMBER 06: ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Williams (L) and Kyrie Irving of the Cleveland Cavaliers pose for a photo during the Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden on December 6, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - DECEMBER 06: ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Williams (L) and Kyrie Irving of the Cleveland Cavaliers pose for a photo during the Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden on December 6, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

The Brooklyn Nets are the talk of the NBA this week, next week, the week after that…

It’s only natural that any NBA analyst who comes on any program has a set of freshly-prepared Nets takes, then, and ESPN’s Jay Williams delivered in a conversation with FanSided’s Mark Carman this week.

Williams is a longtime friend of Kyrie Irving’s, of course, even going so far as to put the PG in his all-time Duke Starting 5 — though he kicked him off his Mt. Rushmore for longevity reasons. Sorry, kid.

For what it’s worth, Williams is even a proponent of NBA insider Allen Robinson and the merriment he brings.

Man, this guy really loves all things Brooklyn Nets.

Williams opened the interview gushing about the most recent NBA star to join the Big 3, who might’ve already risen to the top of the power rankings.

Jay Williams believes Nets star James Harden is the NBA MVP.

“Yes. I’ve been talking about it for a while. What’d he have, a 40-point triple-double the other night?” Williams said. “… And, in a lot of these games, Kyrie hasn’t played. KD has his whole hamstring issue, and yet they’re right there with the best record in the Eastern Conference.”

Williams also cited Joel Embiid (though he’s currently on the shelf), LeBron James (though he’s regressed without Dennis Schroder), Kyrie Irving, Damian Lillard and Steph Curry as other potential MVP candidates.

But can the Nets win a title if their starting five doesn’t gel long before the playoffs begin? Harden’s a major piece, but he’s going to have to absorb another scorer in Kevin Durant into his finely-tuned rhythm. According to Williams…it could be a slight challenge depending on the timeline. But he’s still all in.

“I think continuity and rhythm do matter. I think that would make it challenging if KD only came back for the last month of the season. We’re only in March now, and the playoffs don’t start ’til May/June…look, I think the hamstring is an issue that we’ll have to continue to monitor,” Williams told us.

“But I also said this when this trio came together: they are three of the most prolific scorers the game has ever seen,” he continued. “They are so dynamic. It’s kind of panned out. Like, the ball is going to be in James Harden’s hands, and I think everybody expects James Harden to be James Harden. Kyrie plays off the ball. Kyrie will be Kyrie. We’ll see how they’ll insert Blake Griffin into the lineup. Now you have a guy that can be utilized in pick-and-pops, it’s a different kind of look or feel. And if you can get KD coming back to be more of an isolated player, who’s efficient, who doesn’t need the ball in his hands, surrounded with guys like Nic Claxton or DeAndre Jordan, I think you have a pretty complete team.”

“Will there be questions? Sure. But I tell you, it’s gonna be great to watch. I love the drama around this team.”

We agree.

———————————————————————————————-

Jay Williams spoke with FanSided on behalf of POWERADE.

POWERADE’s new campaign, POWER in Numbers, celebrates the power behind an athlete’s number.

Newly released POWERADE bottles will feature the numbers 0-99, giving athletes the opportunity to purchase bottles with their favorite number printed on it.
For more visit Powerade.com