by RotoWire Staff | RotoWire
Nets’ James Harden: Out for preseason opener
James Harden will not play in Sunday’s preseason opener against the Lakers, Brian Lewis of the New York Post reports.Unsurprisingly, Harden, Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and other key players will sit out the first preseason game. The Brooklyn Nets and Lakers face off again Wednesday.
by RotoWire Staff | RotoWire
Nets’ James Harden: Enters camp at full health
James Harden said Monday at the Brooklyn Nets’ media day that he’s 100 percent healthy after missing time late in the regular season and in the postseason due to a hamstring injury and related setbacks, Alex Schiffer of The Athletic reports.After initially tweaking his right hamstring March 31, Harden missed two games before returning to action April 5, but he played less than a quarter in that contest before experiencing a setback. He proceeded to miss the Nets’ next 18 games before returning healthy shortly before the postseason, only to succumb to another setback in the Nets’ Eastern Conference semifinals round series loss to the Bucks. Though Harden made his way back from a three-game absence to log heavy minutes in the final three contests of the series, he was clearly operating at less than optimal health and was more deferential to his teammates while shooting just 30.6 percent from the floor and 19.2 percent from three-point range upon returning. Now more than three months removed from his last game action, Harden looks to have had sufficient time to fully heal, and he should be well-positioned to handle a high-usage role in his first full season in Brooklyn. The Nets could still look to be more judicious with the 32-year-old’s minutes than the Rockets had been in previous years, but Harden still looks like a rock-solid foundational selection in the early portion of the first round of fantasy drafts.
by RotoWire Staff | RotoWire
Nets’ James Harden: Scores inefficient 22 points
James Harden had 22 points (5-17 FG, 2-12 3Pt, 10-10 FT), nine rebounds, nine assists, one steal and one block in Saturday’s Game 7 overtime loss to Milwaukee.Both Harden and Kevin Durant played the full 53 minutes for the Brooklyn Nets, who forced overtime with a Durant jumper but were only able to score two points in the extra period. While Harden’s hamstring held up, he still looked like a diminished version of his former-MVP self, often settling for heavily contested threes and hitting just two of his 12 attempts from downtown. He was effective from the free-throw line, however, and Harden narrowly missed what would have been his second triple-double of the postseason. With Harden hampered and Kyrie Irving (ankle) missing the last three games of the series, the Nets’ season ended on a sour note, but Brooklyn figures to open next season as the odds-on favorite to emerge from the Eastern Conference, provided the star trio — which was rarely healthy at the same time this season — can stay on the floor.
by RotoWire Staff | RotoWire
Nets’ James Harden: Improved performance in loss
James Harden finished with 16 points (5-9 FG, 3-6 3Pt, 3-5 FT), seven assists, five rebounds and four steals in 40 minutes during Thursday’s 104-89 loss to the Bucks.Harden was more aggressive on the offensive end of the floor than during his return in Game 5, walking away with 16 points on 5-of-9 shooting. That said, he is clearly still bothered by his hamstring, and if this were the regular season, it’s safe to assume he would not be on the floor right now. With no word of any aggravation, Harden should be good to go in Game 7. However, we would expect him to be limited physically once again.
by RotoWire Staff | RotoWire
Nets’ James Harden: No restrictions in Game 6
James Harden (hamstring) will have no minutes restrictions in Game 6 against the Bucks on Thursday, Malika Andrews of ESPN.com reports.Harden looks to be in line for heavy minutes once again after he only sat for two minutes in his return from a hamstring injury in Game 5. He will have no restrictions once again for Game 6, but there’s certainly room for improvement after he struggled mightily in Game 5, going 1-of-10 from the field for a total of five points.
by RotoWire Staff | RotoWire
Nets’ James Harden: Will be available for Game 6
James Harden (hamstring) will be available for Thursday’s Game 6 against Milwaukee, Malika Andrews of ESPN reports.While Harden was far from his regular, dominant self on the offensive end in Game 5, the good news for the Brooklyn Nets is that he was able to play 46 minutes and emerge from the contest without aggravating the hamstring injury that sidelined him for all but one minute of the first four games of the series. Given the immense workload, it’s possible Harden could be dealing with some soreness, but coach Steve Nash told the media that both Harden and Kevin Durant, who played all 48 minutes Tuesday night, “feel good” as of Wednesday afternoon. Barring a setback between now and Thursday night, expect Harden to be in the lineup as the Nets look to close out the series on the road.
by RotoWire Staff | RotoWire
Nets’ James Harden: Limited output in return
James Harden finished with five points (1-10 FG, 0-8 3Pt, 3-3 FT), eight assists and six rebounds across 46 minutes in Tuesday’s win over the Bucks.Harden was cleared for Game 5 and logged the second-most minutes behind Kevin Durant, but it was clear he wasn’t himself. The Brooklyn Nets hope their star guard can be healthier for Game 6, as they need him to be the dominant offensive threat he’s been all season long if they want to pull the upset and steal Game 6 on the road.
by RotoWire Staff | RotoWire
Nets’ James Harden: Cleared for Game 5
James Harden (hamstring) will play in Tuesday’s Game 5 against the Bucks, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports. He will start.Harden went through a pregame workout to test his right hamstring injury, and it’s been determined that he’s healthy enough to take the court in Game 5 with the series tied 2-2. A minutes limit has not been established, but he may see fewer minutes than usual. Ultimately, it may end up being a feel-out game for Harden as he tests how much he can push the hamstring in a game setting.
by RotoWire Staff | RotoWire
Nets’ James Harden: Will be game-time call
James Harden (hamstring) will be a game-time call for Tuesday’s Game 5 against Milwaukee, Tim Bontemps of ESPN reports.Speaking pregame, coach Steve Nash said Harden is undergoing physical therapy but is yet to take part in the pregame workout that’s expected to ultimately determine his status. Judging from Nash’s words, it sounds like the decision will mostly be in the hands of Harden, though the Brooklyn Nets’ medical staff will likely have some input, as well. If Harden does play, there’s a good chance that he could be limited, so he’s a risky play in DFS contests. Harden initially injured the hamstring back in early April, and it caused him to miss 20 of 21 games between April 1 and May 11. He was able to return shortly before the playoffs, but Harden tweaked the hamstring during the first minute of Game 1 against Milwaukee, sending him to the sidelines for Games 2, 3 and 4.
by RotoWire Staff | RotoWire
Nets’ James Harden: Eyes return for Game 5
James Harden (hamstring) is now listed as questionable ahead of Tuesday’s Game 5 matchup with the Bucks, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports.Harden was upgraded from out to doubtful ahead of the Brooklyn Nets’ morning shootaround on Tuesday. After the session, Harden’s status improved to questionable, and Shams Charania of The Athletic reports that the Arizona State product is planning to play, as long as he doesn’t suffer any setbacks during pregame warmups. The six-foot-five guard notched 41 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds in the close-out game against the Celtics in the first round of the playoffs. However, Harden tweaked his hamstring less than a minute into Game 1 against the Bucks and did not play in Games 2 through 4.
