It is definitely unwise to send Harden to a potential opponent in the same area, but in the case of determining that harden can not be retained, it is possible to get Simmons to minimize the loss, in the Nets and 76ers trade, the 76ers firmly disagree with the use of Maxi and Sable as chips, other players are almost for the Nets to choose, and finally the Nets chose Curry Jr. and Zhuang Shen, Zhuang Shen is the only substitute in Embiid's interior line, And Curry Jr. is the most accurate shooter they think the 76ers are, and the two can block the demolition and eat cake, A player who can open up space to hit a shot is particularly suitable for partnering with Harden, and the Nets know that how far the 76ers can go depends entirely on Harden's state, and taking the player who suits him best is the best way to weaken the overall strength of the 76ers.
After Curry Jr. came to the Nets, he averaged 16.6 points, 3.6 boards, 3.9 assists, 44.4% from three-point range, averaged 3 shots per game, Zhuang Shen averaged 9.6 points, 9.1 boards, 2.3 assists per game, shooting 57.1%, compared to the 76ers, which was a good improvement, but the Nets did not get Maxi broke out more thoroughly after Harden came, averaging 26.8 points, 4.3 boards and 3.3 assists per game, shooting 64.9%, and shooting a terrible 70% from three-point range. Averaging 3.5 shots per game, the 76ers also won 4 consecutive wins, and the "Ma Daha" combination of Maxi + The Great + Harden was born, and it is not too much to say that Maxi is the third big man of the team.
The Nets did not get Maxi is definitely the biggest loss, more embarrassing is that only thought of Curry Jr., but did not let the 76ers plus another shooter is also a complete misstep, this player is George Niang, in the game against the Cavaliers, he played 23 minutes off the bench, 9 shots 6, 8 of 5 three-pointers, got 17 points, 2 boards, 1 break 1 hat, hit three points many times in the scoring stage, is in addition to the "Ma Daha" combination, the team reversed to win one of the biggest contributors.
Rivers has said that Harden and Niang are perfect for each other on the offensive end, the biggest reason is that Niang is a quality shooter, this season he averaged 9.3 points per game, 64.5% of the shots came from outside the three-point line, the shooting rate reached 40.4%, averaging 2 shots per game, is the team in addition to Harden outside the average three-pointer player, with Harden's presence, the team does not lack opportunities for outside space, Niang's projection will be better and better, not only on the offensive end, This season, Niang's performance on the defensive end is also very good, although it can not be said to be a top defender, but it is no longer a loophole in the team, and it can withstand the impact of opponents very well.
Niang's annual salary this season is only 3.3 million, basically the same as the base salary, the most critical thing is that next year his annual salary is only 3.47 million, the age of 28 is at its peak, very suitable for championship teams, especially the Nets with explosive salary space, the original Harden trade should let the 76ers plus Niang, while packing Carter away, not only avoid cutting Carter but also pay a high luxury tax, but also got an excellent substitute forward, but now can only watch him play a high performance around Harden.