Brooklyn Nets: How Joe Harris Can Win The West

From the desk: THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

SUNDAY

Wizards 106

Nets    113

FINAL

Third Time's The Charm; Flatbush Finally Conjures a Victory Over Wizards

After a mind-numbing one-point defeat on Jan. 3 and an equally disappointing three-point loss on Jan. 31, the Nets come away with a seven-point victory over the Wizards at Barclays Center.

Blake Griffin made his Brooklyn debut.  He scored on a classic dunk as if to show people he still can, but perhaps more to just get it out of the way.  It was his only two points of the game to go along with two rebounds in 15 minutes.  Sunday's game was Blake's first action since Feb. 22, after going down again with an ongoing knee issue.

Getting the start, Jeff Green attempted just one shot and was 3/4 from the line for three points in 25 minutes.  DeAndre Jordan contributed twelve points and five rebounds, but his defense (-7) limited him to 17 minutes.  Making up for both, Nicolas Claxton was again the key player off the bench and at both ends of the floor.  He was 7/10 from the field en route to 16 points with three rebounds, three blocks, and one steal. 

Kyrie Irving led the way with 25 shot attempts and 28 points in 35 minutes.  He only shot 1/6 from behind the arc but was a perfect 7/7 from the line.  James Harden was right behind with 23 attempts and 26 points, with a team-high eight assists.  Harden also struggled from three-range.  Together, Harden and Irving were just 4/15 from three. 

I did not forget Joe; I saved him for last.  Harris was 3/7 from behind the arc and 1/2 from the line for ten points in 35 minutes.  I understand he's largely at the mercy of Harden's and Irving's ball distribution. Still, sorry, Sunday evening's familiar performance-light is no way to earn your new contract as an everyday starter.  He has indeed established a well-earned reputation since joining the Nets, and teams are paying attention.  Therefore, the next move, adjustment, is now his to make.  

Even before the trade to acquire James Harden, I've been adamant about Joe Harris needing to step it up whenever Kevin Durant and/or Kyrie Irving is out of the lineup.  It just so happens the Nets are having more problems than a math book trying to keep both together on the floor for any meaningful length of time.  Thus, I've been keeping a spotlight on Joe Harris, and yes, this has everything to do with his disappearance act two years ago in the playoffs against Philadelphia.

Joe Harris this season has appeared in all 43 games to date, but only 19 games played alongside Kevin Durant, and not since Feb. 13 at Golden State.  Granted, when KD is playing, opposing teams pay less attention to Harris and vice versa.  Without Durant, teams can better defend Joe's three-point threat.  One can argue at least Harris is holding his ground.  But the same vigor can be put into arguing he has not effectively elevated his game when the team's more premier players become unavailable.

In 19 games during which he and Durant have played together, Joe Harris averaged 5.4/10.5 from the field (51.4%) for an average of 14.9 points per game.  Four times he eclipsed 20 points in a game and on Jan. 31 scored a season-high 30 points in the above aforementioned ponderous loss against Washington.  

In 24 games played minus Kevin Durant from the starting lineup, Joe Harris to date is averaging 5.2/10.0 (52.0%) from the field and 14.3 points per game.  He's likewise posted four twenty-point efforts in Durant's absence, topping out at 28 points on Jan. 7 in a big win over Philly which, in truth, remains Joe's signature game of the season.  Otherwise, on Feb. 16 and again on  Feb. 18 he scored twenty-plus points in consecutive games for the first time this season.  

Through eight games in March, Joe Harris is averaging 4.7/10.2 (46.0%) from the field and 13.5 points per game. 

Overall, Joe Harris is currently averaging 5.3/10.3 (51.8%) from the field and a career-high 14.6 points per game (last season he averaged 14.5 ppg).

The Nets now head West to face Portland, Utah, and Detroit.  Kyrie Irving will not be traveling with the team citing family issues.  Meanwhile, Kevin Durant is expected to miss a few more weeks.  That leaves James Harden as the big man on campus.  However, Joe Harris is a senior on the Flatbush Avenue campus.  But his grades in March indicate he is fading.

Eight times through 43 games this season, he scored twenty points or more - that's almost one every fifth game.  It's time he put up three such games in succession; two out of three would be just fine.  Joe is no novice anymore.  The ability is there.  Three other times he posted 19 points in a game.  Maybe James Harden on this trip will inspire into him some measure of killer instinct like he tries to do with DeAndre Jordan.

Is it too much to ask Joe for 60'ish points over the next three games?  

It's called elevating your game when the team needs it most.