The Brooklyn Nets: Why Are They So Scary?

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By: David Parker

On January 13th, 2021, the Houston Rockets traded 8-time All-Star James Harden to the Brooklyn Nets which already has 11-Time All-Star Kevin Durant and 6-Time All-Star Kyrie Irving. The Nets did give up their coming-up star, Caris Levert, to the Indiana Pacers, and traded both Jarret Allen, a well-rounded big man, and excellent role-playing guard, Taurean Prince, to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Moreover, the Nets had to give up 3 future first-round picks and 4 future first-round swaps, so with this, it can easily be said that Brooklyn gave up a lot to get James Harden. By acquiring James Harden, Brooklyn now has a three-headed monster residing at the Barclays Center.

If it does not scare you that these three great players are now on the same team, allow this article to share some key pointers on their history first. Let’s start with Kevin Durant, a dynamic 7’0 wing player that can play the small forward or the power forward and bring atrocity to the floor. This season alone, he is averaging 29.5 points a game (which is the 3rd highest point per game in the NBA this season) and is coming off an Achilles tear injury in which he missed an entire season to recover. He has won 2 championships and has been a dominant force to be reckoned with his entire career. Then there’s Kyrie Irving, the best dribble handguard in the league. He is averaging 27.5 points per game this season (which is top 10 in the NBA this season) and has been a spectacular point guard since he has entered the league. Kyrie has won 1 championship with LeBron James in 2016 and was a big reason why the Cavaliers won Game 7 of the 2015-2016 NBA Finals. And lastly, we move to James Harden. A guard that blossomed into a super-star with the Houston Rockets and became such a fearsome shooting guard to conceal. He is averaging 24.1 points per game this season and has fine-tuned his playmaking skills as he grew more.

If hearing these facts does not scare you, let it be known that all three of these players are now on the same team. Since the James Harden trade, the Nets have been 7-5 and now hold the record of 14-11. This record might not impress you to look at and their defense is something that can be worked on greatly (they are 27th in defense when numbered up with the whole NBA), but what makes them so fearsome is that they are, offensively, a juggernaut to deal with. When you have all three stars playing together on the same court, you see how offensively deep this team is. And with every game, you get to see a close one as these three scoring machines keep the game alive and thrilling when shot after shot falls for these players. From tough shots to easy shots, these three guys can accomplish anything when trying to make a ball go into the basket because they make it look so easy. Though defense is a big issue to their team, this is something that will get better in due time since the team is still fresh and working through the gears. But, they have proven that they can take down any team with their offense.