James Harden Might Be Out Until Playoffs, Injuries Prevent Nets Stars From Playing Together

The Brooklyn Nets might not have their full complement of stars healthy for the rest of the regular season. James Harden suffered a setback in his recovery from a hamstring injury, potentially keeping him off the court until the playoffs.

Harden was expected to return soon, but the team announced Tuesday that the guard will be out indefinitely after undergoing another MRI.

“We’re back to square one... he will be back when he’s back,” Nets coach Steve Nash told reporters. “It might be the playoffs. It might be sooner.”

The news all but eliminates Brooklyn’s hope that all of its superstars will get some meaningful playing time together before the postseason. Harden, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving have only shared the court as teammates in seven of 57 games.

Harden didn’t play in Brooklyn’s win over the Charlotte Hornets on April 1 because of the hamstring injury. He was only able to give the Nets four minutes in the following game before having to exit the contest. Harden has missed Brooklyn’s last seven games.

The Nets are 39-19 with 14 games left on the schedule. The 2021 playoffs start May 22.

Durant has only played 24 games this season because of various ailments. The two-time NBA Finals MVP didn’t play in Brooklyn’s 134-129 win over the New Orleans Pelicans Tuesday because of a minor thigh injury.

When Durant was sidelined for two months with a hamstring injury, the Nets didn’t miss a beat. Harden put himself in the MVP conversation with his spectacular play, leading Brooklyn to a 19-4 record without Durant.

Irving has been the healthiest of the three stars, averaging 27.3 points, 4.8 rebounds and 6.1 assists in 42 games.

Despite all of their injuries, the Nets are only a half-game behind the Philadelphia 76ers for the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. Brooklyn has the best offensive rating of all time, and it’s even higher when Durant, Harden and Irving share the court.

That’s why the Nets are still the betting favorites to win the 2021 NBA Finals. Brooklyn has been cautious with its top players, resting them at times when they weren’t injured, in order to have them ready for a deep postseason run.

As long as their superstars are ready for the playoffs, the Nets will be extremely difficult to beat. But with the playoffs only a month away, anymore setbacks could mean that Brooklyn won’t be at full strength when it counts the most.