In the last few years, Brooklyn Nets’ James Harden has proved that he is one of the best scorers around. This is one of the reasons why the Nets wanted him and didn’t mind going overboard to get him. But since his arrival, he has been more of a playmaker and is dictating their offense.

Tonight, against the Pistons, he had 12 assists, which is his 6th game in a row with 10+ assists in a game. This is the longest streak in Nets franchise history since Jason Kidd in 2002.

The Hall of Famer also had a 6-game run, and Harden can eclipse his record against the Pacers on Wednesday.

Kidd was one of the best playmakers to have graced the court, which makes Harden’s feat all the more commendable. Harden also has outstanding playmaking skills, but his scoring is highlighted more frequently.

Does James Harden need to step up with his scoring?

While Harden may be doing an excellent job with his playmaking, that isn’t what the Nets need now. In the absence of Kevin Durant, they need him to step up with his scoring.

Tonight, Kyrie Irving took 28 shots and was seen struggling. He shot an unimpressive 42% while Harden took barely 14 shots throughout the game. The Nets had been trailing tight from the first quarter, so they needed him to score, but he failed to do that.

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Prior to the game, coach Steve Nash specifically spoke about the need for Harden to be more aggressive. He said, “An aggressive James is the way we want him to play. Some nights that might be 15 assists, some nights that might be 35 points and 15 assists.”

Since his arrival in Brooklyn, Harden is averaging 23.7 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 11.8 assists per game. The amount of shots he takes is obviously going to be lesser than what he had in Brooklyn. However, in games like these, when Irving is struggling, Harden needs to take on a bigger role.

If he can display similar scoring nights as he did in Houston, the Nets become stronger on offense. At the moment, they are miserable on defense, so they should just focus on outscoring their opponent. And the entire city will be hoping that Harden will shoulder the responsibility for the same.

WATCH: Kyrie Irving Distressed on the Bench as Nets Slump to Third Defeat in a Row