James Harden made his way to the Brooklyn Nets on January 14, 2021. That is just about a month ago, and Harden has even missed some games since he got traded to the team from the Houston Rockets. Despite that, Harden has been a superb contributor while on the court. His numbers tell the whole story.
Harden has been averaging over 12 assists with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant to knock down shots around him. He has also been getting a lot of triple-doubles, including one last night in a win over the Sacramento Kings. That was his fifth 20-point triple-double for the Nets, which broke a franchise record previously set by Jason Kidd.
READ MORE: NBA Legend Isiah Thomas Recognizes James Harden Joining Him In the History Books
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James Harden has been with the Nets for a month. He already has the most 20-point triple-doubles in a season in franchise history with his 5th on Monday. He passed Jason Kidd, who had 4 in 2004-05 and 2001-02 h/t @EliasSports pic.twitter.com/UdqD4bUHPy
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) February 16, 2021
Harden has been getting more triple-doubles because his load on scoring isn’t as heavy as it was in Houston. He has led the league in assists even in Houston, so he may as well do it when he has two of the best scorers of a generation around him. He is hustling to get rebounds on a short Nets team, which explains why he is getting the triple-doubles.
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James Harden: Is he going to continue this pace?
James Harden is one of the best players in modern NBA. To be one of the best in the modern NBA, a player needs to be a bonafide triple-double threat. Harden is also ironically one of the better defenders on this Nets team, which still has a lot of holes to address.
However, if Kyrie, KD, and Harden take the floor together, Harden can easily keep getting these triple-doubles. His elite passing has shown that getting 10 assists in a game is no issue for him. The Nets could use all the help they can get on the offensive and defensive glass, which Harden is providing for them. And there is never a question around whether James Harden will score 10 points in a game.
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Triple-doubles are inflated in the modern NBA, but impressive nonetheless. This is just a testament to Harden’s versatility on the court.