Former NBA player Antoine Walker was not a fan of the Brooklyn Nets’ decision to trade for James Harden.
Walker, who won a title with the Miami Heat in 2006, believes that the Nets won’t be able to win with the style that Harden plays in.
“I’m not a James Harden guy, and it’s not personal but you can’t win with that style,” Walker said during an appearance on the “All Things Covered” podcast with Patrick Peterson and Bryant McFadden. “He’s in a very unique situation with [Kevin] Durant and Kyrie [Irving], but it remains to be seen. … I don’t think you can win with his style. Any time it takes a guy six, seven, eight dribbles to get to where he has to go, that’s a problem. It works today because it’s more of a pick-and-roll league, so he gets away with a lot of things now, but I would not leverage my future for James Harden.”
Despite Walker’s critique, the Nets are 24-13 this season and are the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference.
Harden seems to have adapted to playing with two other stars, as he is averaging 25.5 points, 8.7 rebounds and 11.4 assists per game with the Nets.
The three-time scoring champ has taken just 16.6 shots per game since joining the Nets. It is his lowest number of field goals attempted per game since the 2013-14 season.
While Harden may not have a winning pedigree, playing with two NBA champions like Durant and Irving certainly could help him change the narrative.
The Nets and Harden will look to prove Walker’s theory wrong this postseason.
