James Harden has had a setback in his injury recovery. Since March 31st, during a game against the Houston Rockets, Harden has had a strained hamstring. That caused him to initially miss a couple of games before an attempt at a comeback hampered the guard more. Now, according to head coach Steve Nash after last night’s game, he is back to, “square one”.
The injury comes amid a multitude of NBA injuries that have stricken not only veteran players but rookies as well. The cramped 72-game schedule is surely taking its toll. It seems that most teams have had a somewhat significant injury this season, but the Nets have had quite a time.
Since trading for James Harden, the Brooklyn Nets have been lauded as the next super team to ruin the league. However, the lineup of Harden/Kevin Durant/Kyrie Irving has only played 186 minutes together. That is hardly chemistry on the court. The talent is there, they have Blake Griffin padding out the roster but unfortunately lost LaMarcus Aldridge to retirement due to a health issue.
Harden has been really good for the Nets when healthy. He is averaging 25.4 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 11 assists a game for Brooklyn across 34 games played. Fellow Nets star, KD is also out with injury at the moment. He suffered a thigh contusion that will keep him from play for a bit.
This latest setback puts Harden out indefinitely. Injuries can be delicate to rehabilitate. Even when done the right way and done slowly, injuries can be reaggravated. Coach Nash and the Nets probably hope that they can get two of their stars back before it is too late. There is something to be said about playing as a unit, and the Nets need to find a way to get their three big stars on the court together. If they are unable to, it might be trouble in the 2021 NBA Playoffs.
