Kyrie Irving will have to play new role due to James Harden’s struggles

Kyrie Irving will have to play a new role due to James Harden’s struggles

Irving has been able to supplement his pick and roll success with isolation possessions, as he spends 15.9 percent of his possessions in that offensive set, averaging 3.7 per game. He has shot 46.3 percent in isolations on 3.2 shots per game.

This field goal percentage has allowed him to average 3.9 points per game in isolation. These two offensive sets have helped Irving average 12.3 points per game – 50.6 percent of his scoring output.

Unfortunately, Irving must reduce his time on the ball because Harden is struggling off the ball this year. Harden is only making 33.7 percent of his threes on 7.3 attempts per game.

If Irving refuses to dial back his time on the ball, teams will leave Harden open in hopes of getting the Nets to pass him the ball, which increases the likelihood of Harden taking a bad shot.

If the Nets want to increase their offensive efficiency when Durant is on the bench, Irving must be off the ball for most of those minutes, as he is the better three-point shooter. Irving has shot 39.1 percent from behind the arc on 6.5 attempts per game throughout his career.

In conclusion, the NBA rule change has negatively impacted Harden this season, indicating that Irving must play off the ball more frequently to increase the chances of the Brooklyn Nets having success.