James Harden has been a player who has had a reputation as being durable. In his career, we have rarely seen James Harden miss a big game due to injury. James Harden can take a heavy load of minutes every night. Availability is the best ability, and James Harden is always available to play.
Recently, Rachel Nichols has praised the availability of James Harden. With Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant out with injury, the James Harden acquisition looks better every day: he allows the Brooklyn Nets to stay afloat as a top seed in the conference with his ability.
"We haven't talked enough about James Harden's durability. They are getting that steadiness from him. I think that really matters" – @Rachel__Nichols #NBA #NBATwitter #TheJump #BrooklynTogether https://t.co/vGBAbVNA06
— 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐢𝐧' 𝐍𝐁𝐀 (@_Talkin_NBA) March 18, 2021
Consistent performance is the key to being a top seed in the playoffs, and maintaining an advantage in the standings can sometimes be crucial. James Harden is a proven regular season performer, and his scoring can win a team a game by itself on certain nights. Acquiring James Harden to carry some of the load during the regular season was a good move on many different levels, and injuries are a big reason why.
Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant will likely be healthy for the playoffs, and that’s what matters. Having James Harden on the roster means that they don’t have to rush back, and can take their time with their respective recoveries. The playoffs are what matters to this Brooklyn team, and hopefully, we get to see them compete against the very best.