Nets' Big 3 healthy and ready to deliver vs. Celtics in first round of NBA playoffs

The Nets’ Big 3 of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden played only eight games together out of the 59 left following the Jan. 14 trade for Harden. But all three finally are healthy together and primed for a first-round matchup against the Celtics that begins Saturday night at Barclays Center.

So the question to Harden following practice on Wednesday was about whether the Nets should fulfill their role as favorites for the NBA title if they all do what they do best.

"A thousand percent," Harden said. "Some teams say, ‘We just need to do what we do best,’ and that’s just not good enough at times. But for us, that’s a great quote, and if we do that, then we definitely have a chance."

Harden was a dominant presence running the Nets most of the season before suffering a right hamstring injury that caused him to miss 18 straight games. He returned to play two games but saw his production take a pronounced dip before sitting out the regular-season finale as a precaution and famously spending that game sipping a smoothie on the bench.

His numbers with the Nets for the season included 24.6 points, 8.5 rebounds and 10.9 assists, but for his last two games, he averaged 11.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 9.0 assists although the Nets won both games. His shots were down from 16.6 per game to a mere 6.0 per game.

Asked about the decline and whether he is 100 percent healthy, Harden laughed and said, "Yeah, I’m back. I thought winning was all that matters. When I was doing the stats and putting up numbers (with the Rockets), it wasn’t good enough. At some point, we’ve got to figure out what we’re talking about.

"It’s all about winning. I don’t care about stats. My impact doesn’t have to show up on that stat sheet for us to win. Today in practice, I had zero points. We won. My job as a leader is to make sure everyone is playing well. If I’m doing that, I can focus on myself last."

Because they’ve had so little time together on the court, this week of practice is especially valuable to the Big 3, not only to figure out how to play with each other, but also how to play with their supporting cast. Harden said he, Durant and Irving have engaged in deep discussion.

"We’re in constant communication," Harden said. "We basically talk all day about what we need to do, our approach to the game. Mostly, it’s not about offense. It’s about defense and things we need to get better on. We all know that, us three and the entire team and coaching staff as well. Not for one bit do I think offense is going to be a problem because you’re dealing with three of the most unselfish guys in this league, three of the most skilled and talented players in this league.

"I know what I need to do, and I know what Ky and Kevin can do scoring-wise. I don’t need to compete with them. My job is to make their lives a little bit easier, and if I can do that, then I’m doing my job."

The Nets are 29-7 when Harden plays and only 12-11 when he doesn’t. Harden laughed again when it was noted some thought the Nets didn’t need him, and now he looks indispensable.

"There’s always a negative narrative when it comes to my name," Harden said. "I don’t really pay attention to it because I know how impactful I am, and now you guys have an opportunity to see it…I’m just happy to be here in Brooklyn. I’m excited for this journey we’ve got going on, and I can’t wait."

By Greg Logan

Gregory.Logan@newsday.comGregLogan1

Greg Logan has worked for Newsday since 1982 covering a wide array of sports and events, currently including the Brooklyn Nets beat.