On Saturday night, the Brooklyn Nets took on the Orlando Magic in what was James Harden's first-ever game with the franchise. Fans had been waiting for this moment ever since news broke that he had been traded, and in the end, Harden didn't disappoint as he was able to come through with an incredible performance, nothing a triple-double, all while Kevin Durant scored 42 points. If you're a Nets fan, you couldn't help but marvel at what you were seeing.
Stephen A. Smith was particularly in awe of what went down and on First Take this morning, Smith made a bold claim about the team. As he explained in the clip below, regardless of whether or not Kyrie Irving is part of the team, the Nets will go to the NBA Finals.
Smith did concede that Harden and Durant alone probably won't be enough to win in the Finals but if Kyrie does play and proves to be a good teammate, then this Nets team can end up stunning some people. Of course, there is stiff competition in the Eastern Conference as teams like the Milwaukee Bucks, Boston Celtics, and Philadelphia 76ers seem to be doing big things.
As the season goes on, the Nets are going to be a fun team to track and tonight, they will face a big test as they take on the Bucks for the first time since Harden's arrival.
