Kyrie Irving Scores 22 in Nets Win vs. James Harden, Rockets; Westbrook Drops 27
Kyrie Irving tried to do everything in his first four games as a Brooklyn Net. The result was a 1-3 record.
It appears taking his foot off the gas pedal and allowing his teammates to drive for a bit could lead to more success.
Caris LeVert and Taurean Prince took starring roles while Irving played the facilitator, leading the Nets to a 123-116 win over the Houston Rockets on Friday.
Coming off a 59-point game, James Harden returned to the shooting struggles that plagued him through the first three games of the season. Russell Westbrook also had his least efficient game as a Rocket, and the team shot just 12-of-48 from three-point range.
Harden and Westbrook were a combined 3-of-22 from beyond the arc.
Notable Stats
Rockets
James Harden: 36 points, 8 assists, 5 rebounds, 5 turnovers, 10-of-31 FG (2-of-16 3PT)
Russell Westbrook: 27 points, 8 assists, 7 rebounds, 4 steals, 12-of-25 FG (1-of-6 3PT)
Nets
Kyrie Irving: 22 points, 10 assists, 4 rebounds, 6 turnovers, 7-of-18 FG (5-of-8 3PT)
Taurean Prince: 27 points, 12 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 9-of-17 FG (6-of-10 3PT)
Caris LeVert: 25 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 5 turnovers, 8-of-15 FG (1-of-2 3PT)
Too Early to Worry About Harden's Shooting Woes
In four of five games this season, Harden has been an abysmal shooter. His lone saving grace has been his preternatural ability to get to the free-throw line; he's attempted no fewer than 12 foul shots in any game this season and 15-plus in each of the last three.
There is nothing about Harden's game that's different enough to point to any one problem. The shots just aren't falling early on, which is all the information we need to know a positive mean regression is coming.
If defenses sagging off Westbrook more than they did Chris Paul was a problem—and they do—it would show up more in Harden's ability to get to the rim than in a one-on-one shot profile. Harden is arguably the greatest difficult shot-maker basketball has ever seen; he's simply taking and missing a bunch of difficult shots so far.
Harden has shot between 43-45 percent every season as a Rocket. Still, this is a trend worth watching if it continues.
Kyrie Still Trying to Find Right Balance With Nets Teammates
Off the court, it appears we're making much ado about nothing in regard to Kyrie's fit with the Nets. Teammates and coaches have gone out of their way to defend him in recent days, and until we hear otherwise, we should consider all things copacetic in Brooklyn.
On the court has been a different story. Irving has played brilliantly, but the wins weren't coming. A pair of losses came at the buzzer, so they haven't been Warriors-level of non-competitive without Kevin Durant. However, there was too much of Irving dribbling and everyone else standing around—to the point it didn't even look like the Nets were running many offensive sets.
There was a clear adjustment made Friday, with Irving consciously getting his teammates involved early before taking over in the fourth. That might be the best course of action going forward, especially in regard to preserving Irving's body.
What's Next?
The Nets travel to play the Detroit Pistons on Saturday. The Rockets continue their Eastern road trip by playing in Miami on Sunday.
