The Cleveland Cavaliers have been searching for their missing playoff piece, and James Harden could be exactly that.
The Cleveland Cavaliers have been one of the top teams in the NBA since the arrival of Donovan Mithcel in the fall of 2022. Well, one of the best teams in the regular season, it’s been a different story in the playoffs.
Despite three trips to the postseason in the last three years, the Cavs only have two series wins to show for it.
Cleveland needed something to help them get over the edge, and that’s exactly what the team is hoping trading for James Harden will do for them.
“We made a monumental trade to land James Harden. We think that he raises our ceiling and gives us a chance to have real playoff success,” explained Altman late in the week. “Obviously, this is not a trade that we took lightly, but we do know that James is going to help us. And so we're excited to welcome him.”
When it comes to exactly how Harden will help take this team to the next level they’ve been searching for?
There are a couple of perspectives on how the superstar will do that. There’s a style and fit element to adding Harden to the Cavs, but there’s also an experience piece, too.
Harden’s playmaking ability should not only take pressure off Donovan Mitchell but also elevate the games of both Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. Both of Cleveland’s bigs have faced criticism in the postseason, and Harden certainly has the ability to help keep them involved.
What Altman really looks forward to is Harden's postseason experience on his resume.
“I’m really excited about when it gets to a chaotic time in the playoffs, and we're on the road, and that's on a fever pitch, being able to throw the ball to him and calm this thing down, let's get a good possession. Let's get a good possession when it gets really, really tight. Um, and it's loud in that building,” explained Altman.
“We've gone to the playoffs the last few years, largely as a young team, not a very experienced playoff team, trying to figure it out. And now I think we're adding just a tremendous amount of experience.”
There’s simply no denying that Harden brings more postseason experience than anyone on Cleveland’s current roster. He’s played in over 170 playoff games over the last 16 years, averaging 22.5 points and 6.5 assists while shooting 42 percent from the field and 32 percent from behind the arc in those appearances.
However, Harden has faced his fair share of postseason criticism as well. We’re about to find out whether the Cavaliers and Harden were the missing pieces for each other.
Cavs Roundtable also offers a fan community and message board. We’d love to have you join us to talk all things Cavs. Click the “Join” button at the top of the page to join our community for free.