James Harden admitted that he played through injury last season in the playoffs with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Entering the new NBA season, the Cleveland Cavaliers understand that there is real pressure on the group to get over the hump to win the title.
After falling in the Eastern Conference Finals last season, Cleveland is looking to get back to the same spot, but change the outcome this time. The Cavaliers have a lot of talent on the roster, and the front office believes that this group can win it all.
Cleveland retained star guard James Harden this offseason, signing him back on a three-year, $97 million contract. While some haven't been too happy with this deal, Harden does offer the Cavaliers a co-star to Donovan Mitchell.
But where Harden will need to make his money for this team will be the playoffs. Last season, Harden played decently in the postseason, but he did struggle as the team went deeper.
Part of this could be have been due to an injury that he was dealing with. The star guard revealed that he played through injury during the playoffs, with his left thumb that he broke in February still causing him issues.
Harden had the worst turnover percentage of his career during the playoffs with the Cavaliers last year, and this could have played into it all. But the veteran guard has seen struggles in the postseason over his entire NBA career, and this narrative has followed him wherever he has gone.
In his career, Harden has averaged 22.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game in the playoffs, while shooting 33.7 percent from distance. But in the regular season, his numbers are higher, showing a concern when the lights get brighter.
The veteran guard has posted 24.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 7.3 assists per game, while shooting 36.4 percent from beyond the three-point line in the regular season. So, Harden has real pressure on him to succeed this season, earning this massive contract that Cleveland gave him this summer.
The 37-year-old has seen his legacy being basically written over the years, but he is still missing a title for his career. If Harden is able to perform up to par in the postseason, the Cavaliers will have a strong chance to win the championship this season.
Everything isn't going to fall directly on his shoulders this year, but as a leader of the team, he will be need to step up. The clock is ticking on Harden's career to win, and this year may be as good of a chance as he has had.
