James Harden often looked like the Harden of old. He could beat Chicago defenders off the dribble and toy with them, keeping them on his hip. He consistently drove into the lane Saturday and had the same body control that enabled him to make split decisions in the air, either dishing or scooping his way toward the hoop.
The finishes looked more like an old Harden, though, as he went 5 of 21 with so many that rolled off the rim.
Perhaps his touch has begun to fade. But it’s also possible the type of big man he seemed to always have around has faded away, too.
Harden was at his best in Houston when Clint Capela was there and ready to bounce on a trampoline as Harden broke down defenders and forced defensive help his way. The Nets have tried and benched Blake Griffin, have found a different skill set in LaMarcus Aldridge and recently have experimented more with Paul Millsap, none of whom is a target for many lobs.
The best fit to play alongside Harden’s game, who can take and finish alley-oops, may be working his way back into shape.
“It would be great to get Nic going again, getting him fully functioning again,” Steve Nash said at practice in Brooklyn on Monday about Nic Claxton, who has appeared in one game since his weight- and energy-sapping illness. “We saw him Friday night and obviously it looked like he hadn’t played in a while, was fouling and just a little out of rhythm. And that’s normal for a guy who has had that much of a layoff, lost a bunch of weight, is trying to get himself back in shape. By the end of the year, we would love Nic to be a great add to what we do on both ends of the floor.”
Claxton has played in five games all season and missed 17 from Oct. 25 until his return Friday. The 6-foot-11 big man has not publicly revealed the non-COVID sickness he battled, but he has needed a long ramp-up to get back into shape.
He played three minutes in the win over Minnesota and picked up three fouls without attempting a shot. He did not play in Saturday’s loss to the Bulls, and it sure seemed as if Harden missed the type of threat he could be.
Without a leaper to lob to, Harden has forced more shots when he has sliced through the lane. He is shooting 56.7 percent from 0-3 feet from the hoop, easily the worst of a career in which he has averaged 63.8 percent. From 3-10 feet, the 32-year-old has made just 37.8 percent of his attempts, a far cry from his career-best 46.7 percent in 2018-19 with Capela’s Rockets.
“Claxton reminds me of Clint but more skilled,” Harden said way back in September at media day. “The sky is the limit for him.”
The Nets’ four-game road trip that begins Tuesday in Dallas will swing through Houston on Wednesday and include a visit with Capela, whose Hawks the Nets will see on Friday.
Harden will see what used to be, when 35.1 percent of Capela’s shot attempts were dunks in his 2018-19 season. It’s a mark that is nearly matched precisely by Claxton — 35 percent — but in just 79 minutes this season.
The Nets player with the most dunks this season has been Kevin Durant (15), but opponents are not going to leave one superstar very often to help on another.
“Throughout the course of the game there were opportunities for me to go finish, I just didn’t convert at the high level that I needed to,” Harden said after the loss to Chicago.
Perhaps he needs a big man who can leap to the highest level for Harden to reach the heights he once knew.