James Harden was sensational in his Brooklyn Nets debut on Saturday night. He delivered 32 points and a triple-double in the game. He had 14 assists and 12 rebounds after being cleared to play earlier that afternoon after all the players in the blockbuster trade that brought him from Houston had finished their physicals. He also committed nine turnovers. He became the first player in the history of NBA to post a 30-point triple-double in his debut with a new team.
In 40 minutes, Harden shot 8 of 18 from the field, added four steals and converted 13 out of 15 free throws. His 14 assists broke the franchise record that was previously held by Kevin Porter in 1977 for assists in his debut with the team, per the Elias Sports Bureau. He is just one of six players in the league’s history to have won both scoring and an assist title.
The two biggest takeaways from the megastar’s debut were his patience and playmaking. How he, and everyone surrounding him, approach the offensive balance will continue to evolve, likely for the rest of the regular season. He has always been an outstanding passer, not only for his creativity, timing and court sense but also because he is deadly accurate, rarely forcing rollers or spot-up shooters to adjust to passes that are even slightly off the mark.
Together with Kevin Durant, it looked as if they never stopped playing together as they scored an astonishing 74 points, 19 assists and 16 rebounds combined. Durant showed off an incredible start to the season with 42 of his own points. He shot 16-of-26 and set a franchise record by scoring a minimum of 25 points for the ninth straight game. For the fifth time this season, he surpassed 30 points as the Nets won their third straight.
