KEY POINTS

  • James Harden may be back before the regular season schedule ends
  • Harden is not concerned about the on-court chemistry with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving
  • The Nets may improve their record, depending on the results of their remaining regular-season games

With six games remaining in their NBA regular season schedule, the Brooklyn Nets are looking good.

But then again, head coach Steve Nash wouldn’t mind seeing one of his missing stars such as James Harden back in the fold.

So far, the former NBA MVP has missed 17 of Brooklyn’s last 18 games due to a hamstring issue, but it appears “The Beard” could be back in action soon.

Harden spoke to reporters that he is very confident of returning soon for the Nets, and there seems to be a chance that he may play before the regular season games end.

“I’m just trying to get my conditioning back and just change of speeds, change of direction, and making sure the power and the quickness is there to be able to move how I move. So far so good. Today was really good and we just got to keep building on that,” Harden said.

The Nets are currently at the second spot of the NBA Eastern Conference with a 43-24 mark.

They are 2.5 outings behind the conference-leading Philadelphia 76ers and three games ahead of the Milwaukee Bucks.

Their final place could depend on how they finish their remaining assignments.

But the real debate about the Nets right now is whether Harden can blend in well with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in the NBA playoffs.

The three have not had enough time to play together, but the nine-time All-Star feels it won’t be an issue.

“You’ve got three of the most elite basketball players in the game today and probably that’s ever played in the sense of skill-wise. That’s not the problem,” Harden stated.

As far as returning before the NBA playoffs, Harden bared that he is hoping to play a couple of games before the real battle begins.

However, that will depend on how well he progresses from rehab.

Kevin Durant James Harden Brooklyn Nets
Kevin Durant #7 and James Harden #13 of the Brooklyn Nets react during the second half against the LA Clippers at Barclays Center on Feb. 2, 2021, in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. Sarah Stier/Getty Images

“The plan is to hopefully get an opportunity to play a couple of games before the postseason. We are just taking it one day at a time,” Harden mentioned. “I’m going to leave it at that.”

Assuming all goes well as Harden expect, the Nets should be one of the dangerous teams in the playoffs.

The 6-foot-5 guard is averaging 25.4 points, 11 assists, and 8.7 rebounds per game, big numbers that can provide the needed boost for the Nets’ playoff drive.

RELATED STORIES
NBA