Mike James is not an ordinary “end-of-the-bench” guy that contributes here and there
The Brooklyn Nets have done a fantastic job surrounding their three superstars with a ton of talent throughout the regular season and one of the many talents that goes unnoticed on their roster is Mike James. During the regular season, he averaged 18.2 minutes per game and played just a total of 10 minutes in their first-round series against the Celtics, but James is a huge part of the Nets success and it showed in Game 1 when James Harden went down with a hamstring injury.
Before joining the Nets in April on a 10-day contract, James had only played in 36 NBA games, but the 30-year-old guard is not an inexperienced, end-of-the-bench guy. James has been playing professional basketball since he graduated from Lamar University in 2012, but he has not been playing in the NBA.
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Mike James has played in Croatia, Israel, Spain, Greece, Italy and Russia and his list of accomplishments overseas are quite vast. He is an Italian Supercup champion, a 2x Greek League champion and he was named the 2017 Greek League’s Most Spectacular Player, which is their MVP award.
From having championship pedigree to being “the guy” on some of his international clubs, Mike James is a highly decorated basketball player and is more than capable of “pulling his weight” when his name is called. This is exactly why he is such an important player for Brooklyn not just in this series against Milwaukee, but for the rest of the playoffs.
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The NBA is a much different and much more skilled league than any of the leagues overseas, but Mike James is an experienced player and is a proven champion that can help this Nets team. When James Harden exitted Game 1 early on, Steve Nash did not hesitate and he immediately turned to Mike James off-the-bench to be the point guard for this team.
Without his 12 points and 7 rebounds off-the-bench in Game 1, the Nets may not have won against the Bucks and if Harden is to miss any time with this hamstring injury, then James is once again going to have to play a huge role in the Nets offense.
The journey Mike James has made back to the NBA is quite remarkable and while he is nothing more than a role player for this Brooklyn Nets team, Mike James is a winner and a proven championship point guard that will continue to be an integral part of this Nets team, even if he barely plays in a game.
