James Harden ‘very confident’ in return from hamstring injury before playoffs
A return is near.
James Harden is “very confident” he’ll return to the Nets for at least their first playoff game.
Speaking to reporters for the first time since initially straining his hamstring on March 31, an injury that’s cost him the team’s last 19 games (the most in his career), an upbeat Harden was optimistic about his recovery and his timeline to get back on the floor.
He didn’t rule out returning for one or more of Brooklyn’s final six regular-season games, though the Nets ruled him out of Thursday’s matchup in Dallas against the Mavericks.
“The plan is to hopefully get an opportunity to play a couple games before the postseason,” Harden said after the team’s shootaround in Dallas Thursday afternoon. “We’re just taking one day at a time. And I’m gonna leave it at that.”
Harden and his hamstring have met roadblock after roadblock in his journey back to helping the Nets realize their championship aspirations. He returned three games after the March 31 injury only to aggravate it four minutes into a matchup against the Knicks. He then suffered an on-court setback during a workout session two weeks later on April 20.
That was when Harden realized it was better to play it safe. Even though he’s been an ironman hooper for the majority of his career, the smart move would be not to rush back if jeopardized his availability in the playoffs.
“For me, at this point in my career, going into postseasons, basically since I’ve been in Houston, I’ve been playing heavy minutes, just carrying the load,” he said. “This is an opportunity for me to get my body right going into the postseason with a clear mind and a clear volume. Like alright, you’ve got 16 games to win. And that’s the ultimate goal. That’s the reason I came to Brooklyn.”
Harden’s return is around the corner. His hamstring feels good. He’s at the point of trying to get his conditioning back: “Just changing speeds, changing directions, making sure the power and quickness is there to be able to move how I move,” he said.
The Nets sorely miss their star point guard, and while Kyrie Irving has run the one for a large portion of his career, it’s clear this team functions best with Harden running the show. Harden is averaging 25 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds per game since the mid-January deal that landed him in Brooklyn, and the Nets are 27-7 in games he’s played.
They are below-.500, however, in games he’s missed with just a 9-10 record to show when he’s on the bench. Harden has watched from the sidelines while his team has competed without him. He said he’s been giving guys nuggets here and there on what he sees from the sidelines and has attempted to be each player’s biggest cheerleader, keeping positive energy and his voice involved.
But Harden isn’t a coach, or a scout, or an energy guy coming off the bench. He’s one of the world’s best playmakers and scorers eager to help his team in between the lines.
Harden won’t be on the bench much longer. He said his workout Thursday morning hit all the benchmarks that will clear him to return to play.
“The mark that I have to hit is the work that I did today and have a couple of those without any feeling,” he said. “That’s pretty much the mark, but I am very confident I will be back before the postseason.”
