National Basketball Association

Will Nets' trio of Durant, Harden and Irving end up a bust?

Updated Feb. 4, 2022 11:45 p.m. ET

When the Brooklyn Nets traded for James Harden to pair with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, the immediate expectations were title or bust.

Halfway through their second year together, the trio is teetering on the verge of being one of the biggest busts in NBA history.

The Nets (29-23) are currently sixth in the Eastern Conference standings and losers of seven straight games, including a 125-102 defeat at Utah on Friday night. They are only a half-game ahead of 7-seed Toronto, a place also known as play-in round territory.

That's a long way from the expectations that were placed on the franchise entering the season, when they were seen as one of the favorites to make it to the NBA Finals.

The recent slide is hardly the fault of Durant, who is currently sidelined because of an MCL sprain. His team has gone 2-8 in his absence.

The duo of Irving and Harden has also missed time during that stretch, due to a balky hamstring for Harden, and to Irving being banned by New York City ordinance from playing in home games because he is unvaccinated.

Harden missed yet another game on Friday night in Utah.

With the Nets currently sinking, and their title chances looking as bleak as they have since they formed their high-powered trio, questions have arisen about their viability as a true contender this season.

Nick Wright, quite simply, doesn't think the team has a chance to make it out of the Eastern Conference. He believes the slippage of Harden's play on the court next to Irving is a cause for concern.

"They have no shot. None," Wright said on "First Things First." "They could not give Milwaukee a good series. Have you guys watched Harden since Kyrie's been back? I don't know what changed. I know Harden played great with Kyrie last year, seemed to really enjoy it."

Nick Wright: "The Brooklyn Nets have no shot in the East"

Chris Broussard says there's still hope for the Brooklyn Nets, but Nick Wright is not convinced. With James Harden struggling to perform with the same tenacity he had last season and Kyrie Irving only being available for away games, Wright doesn't think this team will be able to compete in the East.

Harden is coming off of a four-point outing against the Sacramento Kings, a game the Nets lost, while also turning the ball over six times.

For the season, Harden is averaging 22.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 10.2 assists. On the surface, those are numbers that validate him being named an All-Star once again, but upon digging deeper, it is clear he hasn't been as effective as he has been in the past.

His current 41.4 field goal percentage is the lowest since his rookie season, while his 33.2 3-point percentage is the lowest of his career. And his 212 total turnovers rank second behind Russell Westbrook's 216.

And now, with Harden seemingly unhappy with his time in Brooklyn, there is a possibility that he could be traded as soon as the Feb. 10 trade deadline.

But while it looks dark currently for the Nets, Chris Broussard still believes they have a chance to make a run due to the volatile nature of the Eastern Conference.

"Miami is tough, they're well-coached so you might give them a shot," Broussard said. "Philadelphia? They don't have their second-best player. Chicago, they're young. Cleveland, they're young."

The Eastern Conference might not be filled with slam dunk contenders, but the Nets themselves haven't looked the part of one either this season.

With 31 games remaining in the regular season, they are running out of time to turn things around.

How this season finishes out, as well as the playoffs, could be the defining legacy of their "Big Three."