Former NBA coach Mike D'Antoni gave a bold take on Cleveland Cavaliers star James Harden entering the season.
The Cleveland Cavaliers will enter the 2026-27 NBA season ready to get to work on going after a title.
After reaching the Eastern Conference Finals a year ago, the Cavaliers now expect to get back to the same place, and then go even further. Cleveland found a way to break out of the second round, but this team isn't satisfied with where they finished last season.
The Cavaliers are still led by guard Donovan Mitchell and James Harden, giving the team a legitimate backcourt duo. Harden returned to the team this offseason, signing a massive three-year, $97 million deal with Cleveland.
This contract given to Harden has seen many opinions come out, mainly due to the fact that the star guard has come up small in the playoffs multiple times over his career. Harden is also 37 years old, and giving an older player a lot of money can be risky.
But since he will be playing alongside Mitchell and other talented players, Harden won't have all the pressure on his shoulders. And while some are doubting the future Hall-of-Fame guard, his former coach has no intention of doing so.
Former NBA head coach Mike D'Antoni spoke about the veteran guard, saying that Harden is nowhere near done in his career. D'Antoni believes that the Cavaliers guard is still one of the best players in the league, even at his advanced age.
Harden was coached by D'Antoni with the Houston Rockets for multiple seasons, seeing all sorts of success under the veteran coach. D'Antoni believes that Harden will rise above all the doubt this year, and there is no wavering in his thinking.
In 26 games with Cleveland last season after being traded from the Los Angeles Clippers, Harden averaged 20.5 points, 4.6 rebounds, 7.7 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game. The veteran provided the Cavaliers with another scoring option next to Mitchell, and someone who could run the offense very well.
Harden helps to take off some of the burden from Mitchell, forcing opposing teams to have to know where he is at all times. The star guard has also gotten better over the years with his assist numbers, helping his teammates get good shot opportunities over the long season.
If Harden can perform up to par this season, the Cavaliers will have a strong shot to win the NBA title. D'Antoni believes in him fully, and now it'll be up to the star guard to prove his old coach right this year.
