James Harden Is Best With Nets: Unchecked

James Harden has been the best player in the NBA since he joined the Brooklyn Nets.

Since he became a Brooklyn Net, James Harden has been the best player in the NBA.

Remember when during his post-trade press conference @JHarden13 was asked what he would bring to the Nets and he responded, “a great leader?” Some laughed. Ain’t nobody laughing now.

— NetsDaily (@NetsDaily) February 24, 2021

I could start with the numbers...Harden is averaging what would be career highs in rebounds, assists, and shooting percentages since he got to BK and the Nets have outscored opponents by more than 100 points when he’s been on the floor.

James Harden in the 19 games since joining Brooklyn:

25.2 points
11.6 assists
8.5 rebounds
65.5% true shooting
14-5 record
+107 on the floor

In that span, he's still #1 in three-pointers assisted by a solid margin

— Shane Young (@YoungNBA) February 24, 2021

To put that into perspective, that’s leading the league in assists by a large margin, more total points, rebounds, and assists than LeBron James, a better true shooting % than big men Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic, and a higher three-point percentage than Damian Lillard. All while leading the Nets on a recent 7-game winning streak that includes wins over the Lakers, Clippers, and Suns; without Kevin Durant.

𝗔𝗡𝗢𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥 triple-double for @JHarden13 😅

📼 BEARD TAPE 📼 pic.twitter.com/JDyIYNCich

— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) February 24, 2021

But here’s the thing, the stats don’t even really do justice to his level of play. Harden has been praised plenty as a scorer, but he may be an even better point guard.

"The best player in the league this year ... has been James Harden! Not only is he the best player, he's the best point guard in the league."

👀 @KendrickPerkins pic.twitter.com/egghX0zqjF

— First Take (@FirstTake) February 24, 2021

He is absolutely controlling games, manipulating defenses, and getting teammates easy looks both on the roll and beyond the arc. That’s when he’s not hitting floaters or step back threes himself. The way he’s playmaking is reminiscent of the other James. LeBron is the best player I’ve ever seen and he will not lose his overall place at the top of the league during one losing streak, or in the regular season.

James Harden may not be the best player in the world, but he probably plays like the best player in the world more often than any other player in the league — if that makes sense.

— Billy Reinhardt (@BillyReinhardt) February 24, 2021

That title doesn’t change hands by count out or disqualification, only pinfall or submission. Especially when James has donned the crown for so long. But at this moment, no one in the league is playing better than James Harden.

James Harden since joining the Nets:

25.2 PPG
8.5 RPG (Career-High)
11.6 APG (Career-High)
49.5% FG (Career-High)
41.7% 3-PT FG (Career-High)

(h/t @paulpierce34) pic.twitter.com/AOzsoTxVbk

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) February 24, 2021

And what looked like the ultimate heel move in leaving the Rockets to join the Nets World Order, may just turn out to be a face turn for The Beard.