James Harden finally caught a break. And it almost didn’t matter.
After a drought of foul-line appearances in his first five games of the season, Harden marched to the charity stripe time and time again to help power the Nets to a 105-98 win over the Indiana Pacers on Friday in Brooklyn.
Harden shot 16 of 19 from the foul line and finished with 29 points, eight assists and eight rebounds. It was a deviation from the new norm for the Nets’ star point guard, who had taken just 15 foul shots combined in the first five games of the season and had not been getting foul calls like he’s been accustomed to over the course of his career.
Harden shot 3 of 6 from downtown and even converted a four-point play with a step-back 3 that dropped after the contact. His shooting night, however a welcome sight it may be, merely covered for the Nets’ many shortcomings — shortcomings the Pacers exposed early and often.
Shortcomings the Nets (3-3) as currently constructed have no way of overcoming other than the explanation that has become routine to start this season: They need to play harder. They need to play better.
Indiana jumped out to a 16-point first-quarter lead. The Pacers bullied the Nets on the offensive glass and built an early advantage thanks to Torrey Craig, an energy player who routinely collected offensive rebounds for a number of second-chance points on the night. Craig scored 16 points in the first half as a byproduct of his energy.
Compounding the Nets’ early woes was Harden’s poor decision-making as a facilitator: He finished with five turnovers, four coming in the first half. Had Harden not gotten the benefit of the whistle, his turnovers would have hurt the Nets’ odds of coming back from double-digits. That is more evidence suggesting Harden’s ability to draw free throws has compensated when other areas of his game falter.
The Nets, however, shouldn’t have needed a monster free-throw night from Harden to seal the deal. They are a championship contending team even without Kyrie Irving, and the Pacers did not have three of their best players on the floor, including starting point guard Malcolm Brodgdon (hamstring), starting shooting guard and ex-Net Caris LeVert (back) and starting small forward T.J. Warren (face).
If the Nets’ goal stands as being the last team standing at the end of the season, they must be judged against that standard all season. Despite their win, and now their .500 record, the Nets remain a work in progress. They are not in championship shape. Not by a long shot.
Nor was it a realistic expectation, thinking this Nets team would be anything close to sharp or perfect at the start of the season. The Nets continue to be a team with flaws, flaws they hid by outplaying the Pacers in the second half.
They continue to be weak on the glass, which can give opponents two or more chances to score one basket. They continue to be careless with the ball, which gives opponents additional opportunities to score. And they continue to dig themselves early holes they then must climb out of to win a game.
Those are not hallmarks of a championship team.
The Nets' offense continues to be more of a project than a refined system. The Nets made just 6 of 26 3-point attempts and the offense didn’t generate any consistent rhythm until the second half. Kevin Durant finished with 22 points on 7-of-10 shooting from the field but was frustrated by the stagnant offense in the third quarter and launched the basketball into the crowd, drawing a technical foul from the nearby official.
The Nets went to LaMarcus Aldridge in the third quarter, and Aldridge’s veteran presence sparked Brooklyn’s offense. He scored 12 of his 21 total points in the third period and made virtually all of his mid-range jump shots.
The Nets ultimately secured the win, and all victories are created equal in the win-loss column, but there is still much work to be done. The NBA has already shown Harden a fickle whistle this season. If the Nets don’t tidy up the mistakes, they may not be as lucky later down the road.
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