The Brooklyn Nets are 2-3 on the year, and even though there are plenty of games left to be played, things are going to need to change. Kevin Durant can’t continue to carry the offensive load alone. For a team with such high expectations, there’s still a ton of potential that needs to be unlocked.
Steve Nash is still working through his rotations, and with Kyrie Irving out, he’s had his work cut out for him. When he’s on the court, Irving is one of the best point guards in the league. His absence has left a void in the starting lineup, and so far, James Harden hasn’t been able to match Durant’s level of production and intensity.
There’s no need to overreact yet. We all know that when this team meshes together, they’ll be unstoppable. There’s still work that needs to be done to get to that point, though.
Who needs to step up to ensure that Brooklyn can start winning more games than they lose?
Brooklyn Nets: 3 players that need to step up ASAP
3. Blake Griffin
Blake Griffin agreed to a buyout with the Detroit Pistons back in February and then made his way to Brooklyn in March for the remainder of the 2020-21 season. He proved to be a valuable asset for the Nets during the playoffs, which is why as a free agent he decided to stay with the team on a one-year deal.
So far this season, Griffin hasn’t been at his best. He’s averaging 5.3 rebounds and 4.5 points in the four games that he’s played in. He was out due to rest for Brooklyn’s home-opener against the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday.
In the 26 games that the six-foot-nine power forward played in for the Nets at the end of last season, he averaged 10 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.4 assists. He was diving on the floor after loose balls and throwing down dunks. It was almost as if he was back to his younger self again. That was after Griffin was cast into the mix for Brooklyn, but he then got to spend an entire offseason with the team. Not to mention, he didn’t have to worry about rehabbing from an injury.
The Miami Heat out-rebounded the Nets on Wednesday, 62-42, and outscored them in the paint, 48-34. Griffin only played in 19 minutes of that game, but he finished with a mere four rebounds and six points. Brooklyn is relying on his big-man presence down low and he needs to start playing like it. Also, it wouldn’t hurt for him to start knocking down a couple of three-pointers, either.
2. Joe Harris
Where in the world is the Joe Harris that signed a four-year extension in November of 2020? He didn’t show up for the Nets in the postseason when they needed him most. As if that wasn’t bad enough, he’s also been missing this season.
If there’s ever a time for him to show back up, it’s now. In the game against the Heat, Harris surpassed Jason Kidd as Brooklyn’s all-time three-point leader. After hitting five threes on Wednesday, he now sits at 816. That’s quite impressive, right?
It really is, but Brooklyn needs Harris to show up on a consistent basis. He’s averaging 11.2 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1 assist this year. He’s shot 37.5 percent from the three-point line, which is 10 percent lower than his percentage in 2020-21. Harris shot 40.2 percent from behind the arc in the 2021 playoffs, but so far it’s not looking like he improved much in the offseason.
Harris has been with the team dating back to 2016. He’s now in a starting lineup with three other All-Stars, so he’s played a key role in the Nets forming a new identity. If he can be the spot-up three-point shooter that he once was, Brooklyn will be better off. Harris’ premise is based on him being the team’s top shooter from long, but right now that’s Patty Mills (51.6 percent).
The Nets need Harris to have a hot hand.
1. James Harden
If Griffin and Harris continued to play mediocre ball, that wouldn’t be completely awful, as long as James Harden improved his play. His production on the offensive side of the floor is what Brooklyn has desperately been missing. Harden revealed after Wednesday’s loss that he’s still working his way back from the hamstring injury that plagued him during the second half of last year, but the Nets can’t afford to not have him as a playmaker.
It’s been blatantly clear that Harden has struggled with the NBA’s new rule that doesn’t allow for players to draw fouls on non-basketball plays. He used to be a wizard at getting to the charity stripe, but not anymore. Not only is his conditioning not at its best, but he’s also having to alter his game in other ways.
Harden is averaging 16.6 points, 8 assists and 7 rebounds. He’s shooting 35.9 percent from the field and has turned the ball over 23 times. That comes down to 4.6 turnovers per game, which is one of the worst numbers in the league. He said himself that right now he’s not able to put up 30 to 40 points per game, but the Nets just need him to be a consistent scorer.
I know that at this point saying that Brooklyn is missing Irving sounds like a broken record, but it’s true. Especially in regard to Harden, whose play hasn’t done much to make fans feel better about not having Irving on the floor. If Harden can get into a groove, Nets fans will be able to breathe a sigh of relief. The pressure is on, even if he isn’t feeling it.
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