Hoops Habit
Fansided

The NBA’s Golden Age: Why there’s a superstar renaissance

By Donald Hamilton

LeBron James, Stephen Curry, NBA (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
LeBron James, Stephen Curry, NBA (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 5
Next
Kevin Durant, Golden State Warriors
Kevin Durant (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images) /

NBA Golden Age: Kevin Durant

Ahh, the polarizing, contentious Brooklyn Nets. What a wild ride it has been in the early part of the season. From Ben Simmons seeming to be afraid to look at the basket and not being able to be the defensive ace they thought they were trading for in the Harden-Simmons trade last season, to Kyrie Irving and his latest dilemma of promoting an anti-Semitic film that has caused him to be suspended for at least five games, and Steve Nash getting fired

Despite all this, the Nets have started to come on recently, especially after an impressive performance as a collective unit against their borough rivals, the New York Knicks, led by Kevin Durant, who recorded a triple-double of 29/12/12 to help lead them to a 112-85 victory. Durant has been impressive, averaging over 30 points per game on nearly 52 percent shooting from the field to go along with 6.5 rebounds and 5.3 assists.

He’s been otherworldly in his 16th season and shows no signs of slowing down. Can he lead the Nets to a deep playoff run despite their slow start and all the distractions thus far? Only time will tell, but if he keeps playing like this and the pieces around him do their part ala Simmons and Irving, then they’ll have a shot.

NBA Golden Age: James Harden

Is James Harden still a star? Is he past his prime? That’s what was being said about the man who received the nickname “Fear the Beard” during his heyday in Houston. Before he went out with a right foot strain injury that will keep him out for at least a month, Harden was very productive for the Philadelphia Sixers, averaging 22 PPG, 7 RPG, and 10 APG with a 23.7 PER.

He’s not the offensive scoring wizard he once was, but Harden is still a massively effective offensive engine for a Sixers team that has struggled so far without Harden with a 99.7 offensive rating in the last three games without him, which is dead last in the NBA in that span.

The Sixers are currently 12th in the Eastern Conference and have fallen short of the expectations that were placed on them prior to the season. Can they turn it around when a healthy Harden comes back and facilitates the offense at a high level? That’s something I’m hoping to see upon his return in what has been an impressive comeback season for the Bears thus far.