When a dual-core-driven team encounters a core that is not operating, the Brooklyn Nets' solution is to take advantage of the situation and add another core, and this "power" is the locker room where the Houston Rockets are out of control.
Harden's Nets' debut data are gorgeous.
In his Nets' debut, James Harden delivered 32 points, 11 rebounds and 14 assists, becoming the first player in NBA history to win 30+ triple-double in his first game for the new team. At the same time, Kevin Durant also scored 42 points in this game, which is a two-star shining star.
Compared to the original trading rumors, Durant can laugh happily now. He hopes that former teammate Harden will assist, and Tsai Chongxin and the Nets management will have the only way to cooperate. As the team's most important core asset, they certainly don't want to see Durant break out of his contract next summer and leave in vain.
This season is the first season after Durant's Achilles tendon injury. He currently averages 30.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game. In addition, he is the third player in history to still average more than 30 points in the first ten games of the season after the age of 32, with the other two being Elgin Baylor and Wilt Chamberlain.
Durant's good condition since the start of the game has exceeded many people's expectations. Many people expect him to be good, but they did not expect that he would be so good. Many fans are spontaneously lamenting the magic of modern medical skills.
has the same high level of influence as Durant's stadium, and is his right to speak off the court. We can simply divide his 14 years into the NBA as a second-tier show in 2007 into three sections: in the first nine years, he was in the Thunder as a entrepreneurship period, and once reached the Finals with talent, but lost to experience; the Warriors entered the "big company" in three years, made achievements, and even took the risk to play, but still did not gain recognition from the outside world; two years ago, they started their business with good friends, but they did not expect that after a year of restoring their energy in Brooklyn, they suddenly found that their partner they chose had a desire to leave.
Just like LeBron James has always had Michael Jordan in his mind, Durant has always had James in his mind. The problem he didn't understand in the past two years is that I won both the MVP and the championship, and more than once, why do you still think that James is the number one person? The answer is simple: a valuable champion. To win the championship, you need a superstar partner.
When the original partner Kyrie Irving changed, Durant chose to take the initiative to take the initiative to control his fate. Many people cannot understand Cai Chongxin's deal, but he actually has no choice. He cannot risk letting the other party leave in vain a year. In this era when stars have strong voice, there are more and more cases of conflicts between stars and management and making it public, and the boss cannot be inconsistent with the stars. Especially during the epidemic, the team's management of players is more difficult. They need to take care of the players' mental health status during the epidemic, and they cannot completely rely on the players' temperament.
And for NBA team owners, at least they have to talk about the opportunity to get a star of Harden at any time. Irving's farce is the last straw that promotes the Nets and Rockets to complete the transaction.
Harden and Durant seamlessly connect, making Irving's situation and status in the team more subtle.
Before the start of this season, Irving was fined $25,000 for refusing to accept media interviews. Since January 8, he has been absent from the game for personal reasons, and even went to a video conference on social justice during the team's game time. In addition, during his absence, Irving was fined $50,000 for not wearing a mask to attend his sister's birthday party. Every game that was absent during this period will be deducted proportionally (about $410,000 per game).
In the past month, Irving has been constantly turbulent off-court, which has become a huge uncertainty factor for the team. According to a report by The Association reporter Anthony Puccio on January 13, Nets owner Tsai Chongxin gradually lost patience with Irving, and the team's management also clearly expressed his dissatisfaction with his series of behaviors to Irving.
From the perspective of other Nets players, the third-highest-paid player in the team is not only absent for a long time, but also negative news comes from time to time, pushing themselves and the team to the forefront of public opinion, and even the opposite of the media, which itself is unfair to other players. Moreover, this season's Nets definitely hope to go further in the playoffs. Frequent negative public opinion will also distract players and will also damage the team's atmosphere.
Max (left) and Tsai Chongxin (right).
Faced with such a problem, Tsai Chongxin and Nets general manager Sean Marks chose to trade to get Harden, completing the good show of killing two birds with one stone. Through this deal, on the one hand, it can add an offensive core to the team to cope with the problem of Irving's long-term absence, and this newcomer is Durant's good brother; on the other hand, it also shows that the team's determination and attitude to achieve results this season, and the management will not resist making big deals involving star players during the season.
In order to get Harden, the Nets not only sent away major rotation players such as Caris LeVert and Jarrett Allen, but also sent out multiple first-round draft picks, which can be said to have hollowed out the team's future. Before 2027, all first-round picks of the Nets cannot control themselves. They either sent them away directly or gave the initiative in signing exchanges. Moreover, the contracts of Harden, Durant and Irving will all expire in 2023, and the three of them will have player options in the 2022-23 season. Therefore, the Nets do not have much initiative in renewing contracts for these three players.
From this perspective, the Nets' deal is extremely risky. But when the opportunity to get a superstar was placed in front of him, the Nets decided to complete the deal. The experience of winning the Toronto Raptors and Los Angeles Lakers in the past two years has proved that if you want to compete for the championship trophy, "for zero to complete" and exchange multiple role players for a superstar player, the effect will be better.
It is worth mentioning that LeVer was found to have a lump in his left kidney during the subsequent trading physical examination and is currently in a state of indefinite quit, while the Nets only need to compensate for one second-round draft pick. Judging from the chips in the final transaction, Harden's transaction has a good price-performance ratio.
High risk can naturally bring high returns, and the Nets have obtained a combination of three giants with extremely strong offensive end. According to ESPN Stats Info, Harden, Irving and Durant have all ranked among the top ten in the league in singles in the past five seasons. And over the past 10 seasons, Irving, Harden and Durant have ranked among the top four in the league in ball usage at critical moments (the final five minutes of the game and the difference is within five points). This combination can be regarded as the three-man with the strongest singles firepower and the richest experience in handling key balls in the league.
According to previous reports by The Athletic journalist Shams Charania, Harden, Irving and Durant had previously discussed the topic of playing together. Therefore, private relationships between three people should not be a problem. But how many successful this combination can play on the court and how far it can lead the team in the end depends on whether they can produce good chemistry on the court.
In addition, under the Big Three mode, there are stars who are destined to make sacrifices, including giving up some ball rights and taking on more defensive responsibilities. Durant has proved that he can adapt and switch freely regardless of whether he plays with or without the ball, so whether Harden and Irving's style of play can be compatible has become the key to the success or failure of the Nets' Big Three mode.
In this issue, Steve Nash may have to stand the biggest test. This is Nash's first year coaching the NBA team. Not only is he under the pressure of achieving results, but he also has to handle the relationship and roles of several superstars in the team. This is not an easy task. "We need to find ways to make them perform at the highest level and play more efficiently. This is a worry of happiness, and everyone needs some time to adjust." Nash said in a post-match interview on January 17.
htmlOn January 19, the Nets will face the Milwaukee Bucks, the number one in the East.It is worth noting that Irving's game state has been changed to "Questionable", and the debut of the Nets' Big Three may be staged in this game. Strong dialogue is often a good opportunity to test the player's condition and team's strength. If you can win the game, the team's morale will be greatly improved.But for the Nets’ Big Three combination, there is not much time left for them to run in and prove themselves. The first phase of the season will end on March 4, and the trading deadline will be set on March 25. At present, the Nets' management is also in a stage where they can attack and retreat and defend. If the three giants can exert their expected power, the team can continue to strengthen the combination; if the effect is not as good as expected, the team can also choose to make changes before the trade deadline and send Irving away. It is not impossible to build a team around Harden and Durant.
In today's era where stars have stronger voice, Tsai Chongxin and the team management have obtained Harden through a four-party transaction. If this transaction can also "cure" Irving's willfulness, it will also be a good reference for other teams.
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