NBA Game Reviews: January 16, 2021

1. James Harden is already showing a willingness to change to chase a championship

James Harden made his debut for the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday. He played with Kevin Durant for the first time since their run on the Thunder and fit in seamlessly with not only him, but the rest of the Nets offense. Harden played point guard for Brooklyn on Saturday as Kyrie Irving remained out for personal reasons. Point Harden didn’t only look as good as he has all year, but he looked happy for the first time this season.

Happy Harden torched the Magic for 32 points, 12 rebounds, and 14 assists, while his All-World teammate KD exploded for 42 points of his own. While Harden became the first player in NBA history to record a 30-point triple-double in a player’s first game with a new team, the way in which Harden played is what should really have Nets fans excited. Harden was known for being one of the premier isolation scorers in the league. While it led to him being one of the most dominant scorers in NBA history, it never led to a title and was most likely never going to, according to one of the greatest to ever to do it who knows a thing or two about winning rings.

In his first game in Brooklyn, however, the Beard prioritized getting his teammates involved and ensuring the offense didn’t stall when he had the ball. While Harden may have passed a little too much on Saturday, as he was one turnover away from a quadruple-double, the unselfishness he played with was a welcoming sight for his teammates and coaching staff. Although many questioned the way in which Harden went about this situation, he’s in a happier place now, and is finally showing signs of changing his game in order to compete for a championship. 

2. Ja Morant’s speedy return has re-established the Grizzlies as a playoff contender

COLORS KEY | FULL GRIZZLIES FUTURE OUTLOOK

Ja Morant went down with an injury on December 28th against the Nets. The timeline for his sprained ankle was three-to-five weeks. He could have missed up to 20 games with that timeline. Instead, he returned on Saturday, less than three weeks from the day he went down. He missed just eight games, in which the Grizzlies were able to pull off a 4-4 record, thanks to a three-game win streak entering their matchup against the 76ers. An 0-8 or 1-7 stretch could have ruined their chances of contending, but they fought hard, and now have their star player back in time to continue their run at the postseason after just falling short last season.

Morant returned on Saturday to lead his team to a gritty 106-104 win against a Philadelphia team playing without their All-Star C Joel Embiid. Morant recorded 17 points and six assists in 30 minutes, and helped his team fend off a late comeback attempt by the scrappy Sixers. Morant’s return by no means makes Memphis a lock for the playoffs, but an elongated absence would have meant the end of the Grizzlies’ chances this season. With Morant back, MEM are back to being a competitive team on a nightly basis, and have one of the most electrifying players in the league leading the way.

SEE MORE NBA TAKEAWAYS