James Harden’s Nets debut started with a thud.
Seconds before Saturday night’s opening tip against the Orlando Magic, Harden fixed his shoes at center court, pointed to the sky, then ran toward the Nets’ baseline and launched himself into the basket’s stanchion. As his body hit the padding, a notable boom echoed through the Barclays Center.
Harden’s leap represented the one the Nets hope to take after trading away homegrown standouts Caris LeVert and Jarrett Allen as well as a bounty of draft picks. A four-team deal completed Saturday sent Harden from Houston to Brooklyn, putting him alongside superstars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, who has missed the past six games for personal reasons.
Although Brooklyn was far from a finished product in Harden’s first game, a 122-115 win, his debut showed the 6-foot-5 guard in a completely different headspace from how he appeared in Houston four days before. After a blowout loss to the…
