James Harden Details Pick-and-Roll Work With Evan Mobley

Two days before the Cleveland Cavaliers open the regular season in Philadelphia, James Harden walked through the screening reads he has been working on with Evan Mobley after practice Tuesday at Cleveland Clinic Courts in Independence, Ohio.

Cleveland flipped its guard-big pairings during the preseason. Donovan Mitchell has worked more with Jarrett Allen, while Harden has worked more with Mobley. Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson explained the reasoning behind the switch after Friday's practice and called Harden a master at teaching the pick-and-roll.

The work centers on when Mobley should leave a screen early and when he has to hold it.

"I think it's so much that goes into being an elite screener," Harden said. "I think knowing who has the basketball, knowing who's guarding the ball, and just basically trying to create an advantage. So there's gonna be times where Ev comes up and kind of [slips] the screen, and so he wants to get out a little faster so he can be able to get to the rim. And there's gonna be times where he actually has to set a physical screen to hold the screen."

"So it's [just] kinda [communicating] with him on those type of situations, so he can see them and understand them when they appear," Harden continued. "I think that helps our offense a lot, just because I'm able to get downhill. He's able to get the ball in the pocket, or we got [a] lob, or we got a kick-out opportunity. There's gonna be a lot of times throughout the course of the year where we communicate, but I think just getting ahead of it is gonna make our game a lot easier."

Mobley averaged 18.2 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 3.6 assists in 65 games last season. Cleveland drafted him third overall in 2021. He was named Defensive Player of the Year in 2025 and turned 25 in June.

Once Mobley creates separation, Harden can shoot behind the screen or hit him with the pocket pass.

"Obviously, it's athleticism, but it's pace," Harden explained. "He has the athleticism and the pace to create an advantage, create separation, running into a basketball — I mean, into a ball screen. And once you got separation, then everything's available. Set a good screen, I can shoot it behind the screen. Now his man is kind of [trailing] the play, now I can hit the ball in the pocket. So I think just his pace is what separates him from a lot of bigs in this league."

Cleveland acquired Harden from the Los Angeles Clippers on Feb. 4 in exchange for Darius Garland and a 2026 second-round pick. He averaged 20.5 points and 7.7 assists in 26 regular-season games with the Cavaliers, who went 19-7 in those games, according to Yahoo Sports.

Mobley missed seven games with a left calf strain around the All-Star break. On Feb. 24 against the New York Knicks, Harden fractured his right thumb, and he sat out the next two games.

Harden and Mobley spent several weeks this summer communicating and working on different variations of screens.

"It can happen fast," Harden said. "I think the communication and the work behind the scenes speeds that process up. We had basically 20-some games last season, and then we had an opportunity this summer. We spent several weeks working on it, just communicating, working on different variations of screens."

"And then now, it'll be a lot better, and then the amount of more time we're gonna play with each other," Harden added. "So just on the court, now the [minutes are] logging in, now we get a chance to see what the different variations of that pick-and-roll look like. So I think both of us are excited for it."

In August, Harden re-signed on a three-year, $97 million contract with a player option for 2028-29. He turned 37 on Aug. 26. Before camp, Mitchell told The Associated Press that the group worked out together in New York during the U.S. Open and again around Harden's birthday.

Harden said Mobley is capable of dominating the game on both ends at a high level.

"I think just ultimate confidence," Harden said. "I think he works extremely hard. He's focused. He wants to be great, which is the first mindset. So just building that confidence, making sure it's continuous. It's night in and night out."

"And of course, shots aren't gonna be made every single night, but I think the overall mindset of dominating the game is the most important thing," Harden detailed. "Which he's capable of doing on both ends at a high level. So I think building that confidence and keeping that confidence to where it needs to be is gonna be beneficial for our team."

Harden made his preseason debut Oct. 11 against the Orlando Magic. He scored 24 points on 7-of-10 shooting, including 3-of-5 from 3-point range, in 26 minutes of a 119-105 win. That night was the first time Cleveland's projected starting five played together: Harden, Mitchell, Peyton Watson, Mobley, and Allen.

Off the court is the most important part of the relationship for Harden.

"I think off the court is the most important, like hanging out, just going to dinners, just small things like that, understanding each other," Harden said. "It translates. It's much easier to communicate on the court. Obviously we're both talented, so I think just the communication helps anybody."

"And for him, it's just — he helps me on the defensive end, make me communicate and have my back," Harden noted. "And then offensively, just trying to get him as many easy points as possible. Because we do that, and then our team is a lot better. It helps Jay, it helps Don, it helps our entire team. So I think it starts with us two."

Over the offseason, Harden had teammates out to his house in Arizona to work out, eat, and hang out. Allen has said he sees the Harden-Mobley pairing growing fast.

Things will look different by February and March, Harden said.

"Long, long, long way to go," Harden said. "So many things change and shift throughout the course of the year. So I think just us having an opportunity to start off together is already exciting. Things look different February, March, but hopefully the most important thing for us is staying healthy and just kind of taking one day at a time and just [trending] up."

Harden is entering his 18th NBA season. He is an 11-time All-Star and won MVP in 2018.

Last season, Cleveland went 52-30 and finished fourth in the Eastern Conference. The Cavaliers reached the conference finals for the first time since 2018 before the Knicks swept them, closing the series with a 130-93 win at Rocket Arena on May 25.

Cleveland opens its 2026-27 schedule Thursday against the Philadelphia 76ers at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN.