When the Cleveland Cavaliers made a franchise-altering move for James Harden in February, it was obvious that their timeline had accelerated to the highest level it's been since Donovan Mitchell came to town.

They acquired a former NBA MVP in the latter stage of his career, hoping his 17 years of playoff experience would elevate those around him and, in particular, alleviate the pressure that Mitchell carried as a ball-handler. 

Harden assumed that responsibility and did well with it early, leading the guys to a winning streak before the All-Star break and carrying the momentum over into March. He established a solid rapport with Jarrett Allen off the bat and found his footing with Evan Mobley in the month after. 

Unfortunately, contrary to how the post-trade returns seemed at the time, Harden's playoff run was not up to par. Though he had a couple of solid games along the way, he had hiccups that hurt Cleveland. At one point in the postseason, he had more turnovers than field goals made. For a team built to play in transition, the Cavs became a half-court team with a slower pace.

There is no question, however, that the Cavs were more organized with Harden handling the ball. Despite his faults and loose nature with the rock, the team's offensive rating plummeted when he was sitting. Looking back, it's an odd dynamic and indictment on the rest of the roster not being able to initiate.

Defensively, Harden did what he could, yet was still picked on and targeted. Game 1 against the eventual league champion New York Knicks showed that he was a step slow against younger, shiftier guards, and the coaching staff didn't put him in the best position to succeed. Still, for the investment the team made in him, he had to be better, no matter his age. 

REGULAR SEASON STATS

20.5 POINTS | 7.7 ASSISTS | 4.8 REBOUNDS | 46.6% FG | 43.5% 3PT | 84.0% FT

PLAYOFF STATS

19.2 POINTS | 5.5 ASSISTS | 5.1 REBOUNDS | 41.0% FG | 29.9% 3PT | 83.1% FT

Cleveland welcomed its newest All-Star veteran with open arms, and he has reciprocated that love by publicly speaking highly of the group across the board. Harden has gone out of his way to compliment the organization, including Cavs president of basketball operations Koby Altman and head coach Kenny Atkinson.

Harden is likely to be back with the franchise on a new multi-year contract with a lower average annual value, granted he opts out of his player option. It would provide him with an extra year or two of financial security and help the franchise get closer to dipping under the second apron.

With a whole summer and training camp in front of him, Harden should have the opportunity to strengthen his bond with the team and hopefully build on the positives.

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