James Harden and Kevin Durant were supposed to be an unstoppable tandem even without Kyrie Irving completing the trio, but it hasn’t quite worked out that way for them this season.
KD has been KD, leading the league in scoring and carrying the Brooklyn Nets almost by himself at times. However, Harden has failed to live up to his own MVP standards. He’s barely managed to play like a second star, let alone an equal to Durant.
This has changed somewhat in recent games, which KD has missed due to being in the NBA’s Health and Safety Protocols. Harden has stepped up in these games and led the Nets to victory against the Lakers as well as the Clippers.
He recorded a 30-point triple-double against the Lakers, with 36 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in a marvelous performance, before following it up with a 39-point, 15-assist game against the Clippers.
Fans are excited by Harden’s resurgence and understandably so, but Chris Broussard is not convinced, explaining why he’s not ready to say Harden is back just yet on the Fox Sports show First Things First.
“I’m not ready to say James Harden is back. I’ll give it a maybe. But two games without Kevin Durant and now Kyrie Irving, that doesn’t tell me what he’s going to play like when they’re there. And my main problem with Harden is that when KD is there, he hasn’t played at a superstar level.”
“In my view, Harden has not played like a superstar with Durant. He’s been overly differential and willing to just be a role player who is really not aggressive. I need him to be aggressive, be a scorer looking to get 26 points a night, looking to get guys in foul trouble and all of that with KD on the floor.”
"I'm not ready to say James Harden is back. 2 games without KD doesn't tell me what he's going to play like when KD's there. When KD's there Harden hasn't played at a superstar level. … We don't need the Houston Harden w/ KD but I need him to be aggressive." — @Chris_Broussard pic.twitter.com/XhsTPce6p2
— First Things First (@FTFonFS1) December 28, 2021
Durant is out of Health and Safety Protocols now and could feature for the Nets as soon as Thursday’s game against the Philadelphia 76ers. It remains to be seen whether Harden will be able to maintain his current streak once Durant and Kyrie Irving made their longed-for returns to the court.
