Will James Harden regret coming to the Brooklyn Nets?
We see from the limited eyes and insights of an outsider that he is probably regretting it. But it is absolutely not excluded that Harden enjoys it and actively seeks a solution or takes responsibility when the team has a problem. So why didn't he renew his contract?
The contract thing, I will not discuss it here, we do not know the specific details, here to discuss Harden's dilemma on the court.
Harden's biggest dilemma is that the Nets are not built around him, and the Nets are essentially a team that sorts out and links durant and Irving's singles ability.
Because the singles of these two are too prominent, there is no reason not to use them, and the management and head coach do not have a perfect tactical system, the simplest way is to squeeze the singles of these two people.
Then in the traditional basketball concept, there can be no only single players in the team. Singles tandem teams are average in their own right, preferably with organizers, and Harden reached the Nets in a complex trade against this backdrop. Maybe he wants to go to the Digital Man Team more.
Judging from the ideal state of last season or this season, Harden has a good court performance with Durant and Irving, and the problem is that they have too little time together. In the past two years, there have been too many factors off the field in the NBA, mainly the impact of the new crown. This effect may end in the near future or may last a long time. From the perspective of the NBA, they tend not to look at this matter too much, which means that the obstruction of Irving by the new crown regulations may be over.
Irving also wants to show results at the Nets, claiming that the era of the Big Three has arrived, but how to solve the problem that the three of them have been together for a short time?
What is the essence of this?
The essence of this matter is how to reduce the pressure of the Big Three from the basketball court. Exactly, it's how the Nets can ease pressure on Durant and Harden.
When Irving is there, it will naturally help Harden and Durant to reduce the burden, but Irving's uncertainty is increasing, and there may be other social affairs to tie Irving in the future. Counting on Irving to decompress isn't the best thing to do, and the Nets can only start from other angles.
There are several ideas to consider:
First, develop an offensive and defensive system that can replace Harden's pressure to the most part.
Nash has no mature tactical system, does not have a set of ways to run the ball, and only uses Harden's own organizational attributes. Once Harden is not on the floor, then the offensive strategy is nothing more than to give Durant a single, and sometimes even very few blocks. This kind of pure singles makes people look uncomfortable, and it is definitely not the long-term way to use Durant.
So what kind of system has it developed into?
This is a question worth thinking about, not something that can be done in a short period of time. Even if there is a system concept, then the effect can only be seen after two or three years. Can the Nets afford to wait?
The Nets may be able to afford to wait, but in this era of quick success, they can't have such a long time to prepare. The Golden State Warriors type's way of growing up probably wasn't a good fit for the Nets.
Second, change the head coach.
Nash's untimely call for a timely time or no timeout is a very obvious problem, and the quickest way to cut the mess is to get him out of class and find a better manager. When Nash was interviewed before, he often said that he didn't know what was wrong with the team, which was too direct. This must be the true summary of Nash's heart.
By replacing a head coach with a set of offensive styles, it's a great way for the Nets to change the status quo. Maybe they can find a highly theoretical head coach from college, or find a former NBA head coach who is idle at home.
The reality is that Nash's relationship is very strong, the Nets have many problems but the general direction is still correct, the Big Three still have a strong court expression, and the reason for management to replace Nash is not sufficient.
Third, continue to promote role players.
After Harris was injured, one Mills on the flank wasn't enough, and harden's effectiveness would have improved too much if the two were on the flank at the same time. So the Nets' full roster does give people a lot of reverie. Continuing to promote role players means that the Nets will have a longer time to fight for the title.
The main upgrade point of the team is the defense of the interior and flanks.
At present, there are not many really good interior lines and wings in the NBA, which are basically occupied by other teams, and good wing 3D is a minority. The Nets already have two wing three-pointers, neither of them defensively is very good, and it's unlikely they'll be replaced. The idea here is that if there are good flank defenders, the Nets can consider getting them, replacing some of the offensive effects with defensive effects.
Salary expert Bobby Marks recently guestd on the podcast show, saying that the Nets are likely to free up griffin or Millsap for David Duke and Edwards, who have left two-way contracts. Well, the consideration is positive, and while Griffin is a lovely guy, he's not good enough to take on the Nets' current interior line.
The way to keep Griffin is to find a better center, of course, the Nets can not change, but we are talking about how to reduce the pressure on the Big Three.
It is reasonable to say that the above three items, if there is a problem, the ability of the three giants of health can be covered, but the process of winning the championship is the process of increasing fault tolerance. As long as the nets do one of the above three things, it will be very thirst-quenching for the big three. The problem is that all three of these are not easy to accomplish.
Rationally, the Nets are only a champion if the Big Three are absolutely present and healthy, and once one of the three has a problem, the Nets' offensive and defensive effect is reduced. There are too many variables and their championships won't come too quickly. However, in the playoffs, because of the high requirements for stars, the Nets still have a great advantage. For Harden, if the Nets don't change, he is still the one who is most demanded.
From Harden's level, he is not yet a person who can switch between high attack and high organization at any time, for the Nets' ultra-high requirements, Harden shows fatigue, and the playoffs are likely to be out of shape. Or as we said before, the Nets are not built around Harden, which means that Harden is not in the most comfortable state.
So the Nets, why not go?
It is not easy for the big three to form a team, it is cowardly to leave without showing the best results, even if it is perfectly configured, the road to winning the championship is full of hardships. The Nets are certainly the best team Harden has ever played, and I still think he has a better culture than the digital men who have lost series for all sorts of weird reasons over the years.
Break out of your inner comfort zone and you'll achieve something.