Nets superstar James Harden is still working on getting his conditioning back to 100%, according to Brian Lewis of the New York Post. Lewis notes that Harden has fully healed from a hamstring injury sustained during the playoffs — but that his next challenge is getting back into shape.
“He hasn’t really played since the Boston series, and before that, he hadn’t played for a long time either,” head coach Steve Nash explained. So he hasn’t played a lot of basketball, period, since the [2020] bubble. It’s been stop-start for him. He still wants to get his legs under him, and then can feel a few new levels for him to go.”
Brooklyn is poised to re-add Harden to a starting five of Kyrie Irving, Joe Harris, Kevin Durant and Blake Griffin this season. The 32-year-old played 44 games with the Rockets and Nets last season, averaging 24.6 points and 10.8 assists per contest.
Here are some other notes from the Atlantic Division:
- Kevin Knox‘s future with the Knicks remains cloudy entering the season, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes. Knox only played in 42 games last season (11 minutes per contest), and sources told Berman it was largely due to his low motor and lack of defensive toughness. Knox was drafted by the franchise with the No. 9 pick in 2018.
- Sixers head coach Doc Rivers helped recruit Andre Drummond and Georges Niang to the team in free agency, Gina Mizell of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes. Both Drummond and Niang are expected to provide depth in the frontcourt as bench players this season. “That was the swinger in me wanting to be here,” Niang said of his phone conversation with Rivers. “Just simply because that’s the guy that’s taking me in and out of the game. He had a vision for me, and it aligned with [how] I thought I fit in. He wants to win right away, and so do I. I want to be in a good culture, and that’s what he’s building here. Obviously, when I got off the phone, I was real excited because I thought, before I even made the decision, I had a home here in Philly.”
- Raptors big man Khem Birch has missed the start of training camp due to health and safety protocols, Blake Murphy of Sportsnet tweets. Birch appeared in 19 games with Toronto last season, averaging 11.9 points, 7.6 rebounds and 30.4 minutes per contest.
Harden hasnt played a lot of basketball since the bubble but certainly was fit enough to hit the club.
That number of 44 games Harden played last season with Houston and the Nets is a bit misleading. Only 8 of those games were before the trade, and for those who think the Rockets went 17-55 mainly because of losing Harden it’s simply not the case.
The team was 3-6 when he was traded, but then they went 8-4 (including a 6-game winning streak) right after that when everyone on the team was still healthy.
They were 11-10 when Wood got hurt, then the team went 6-45 the rest of the season with the injuries to him plus Wall, Gordon, House, and Nwaba causing each of them to miss between 31 and 45 games, forcing them to use an NBA-record of 30 players.
Are you saying rockets wont ride the tank this year? Lol, is that why they don’t want Wall playing at all?
Why would they? The reason Wall isn’t playing is because they want Porter to start at PG alongside Green so they can develop a rapport.
You know how you sound. Why are you apologizing. Rockets tanked to get Green. Move on. It was right move.
Harden hasn’t been in shape since the Bubble with Rockets. Reported to training camp out of shape and fatter than Barkley. It’s why he had hamstring injury. Notoriously happens to out of shape players when they push it. So it takes him two yrs to get in game shape. It’s what Nash is saying. Why would you want this guy on your team. Would have loved to see him try and play with Kobe……. Geeeez
Knox does have a low motor. And it’s gotten worse since seeing all the changes in NY. He came in as youngest guy in draft. He can’t handle NY like this. His rookie stats are very promising. Knicks just sat him after that. Instead of developing his game. The kid is still growing into his body. Another lost pick who will go elsewhere and flourish.
He did lose a lot of weight before going to the bubble in Orlando.
It’s too bad how he was in great shape, then last season it all fell apart.
eh, I think Knox’s rookie stats had a lot to do with how bad the team was. He only played and got shots because there was no one else. Their top four in PPG that year were THJ, Emmanuel Mudiay, Dennis Smith, and Enes Canter.
It was an all-time bad Knicks team and looking back on it makes me wonder how they even won 17 games. It also makes me wonder why I watched so many games that year. Hilariously bad.
Any barely 19 yr old that can do that in NBA says something. Now Knox imo does have motor issues. I felt that before Thibs. But just like Frank he’s been miss-managed. Cause of Knicks chaos in FO and coaching. The guy is an NBA player. Unfortunately he’s been lost in the chaos. That happens in NY. It’s hard to come back from. It’s happened to better athletes than him. You draft a 18 yr old. Then it’s your responsibility to see that thru. Knicks never did.
Rivers still can’t keep his trap shut in regards to Ben Simmons, but at least he was instrumental in recruiting Drummond & Niang to come to Phillly. Maybe if he’d quit obsessing over Trump and the Republicans he could actually do what he’s getting paid to do. At this point I might actually prefer to have Brett Brown back.
Harden will work on his conditioning, but for now he’s busy crowing about how loyal he is…
Rivers is probably one of the worst and laziest coaches, trying to get by based on his Celtics reputation and relationships he has had with some stars. Divorcing a wife of his 3 children for a daughterlike girlfriend tells you everything about him. Please dont go to him as someone who speaks for black Americans.
Nets at 100% they are team to beat. But they can be beaten by a team that plays D. Nets still have issues on defense. Bucks can beat them. Sixers if they make right trade (Kings) can do it. Also I’m still not sold on Harden n Kyrie. This is a relationship that can blow up. I mean Nets already having issues with Kyrie.