NBA Star James Harden highlights the Cleveland Cavaliers' championship-caliber talent following his home debut with the franchise
Acquiring James Harden at the trade deadline was all about one thing for the Cleveland Cavaliers: chasing a championship.
Team President of Basketball Operations, Koby Altman said as much after pulling off the trade last week, emphasizing that the Cavs' ceiling is higher with the 11-time NBA All-Star.
Nearly a week later, on Wednesday night, Harden was finally able to make his home debut for the wine and gold. Harden, who is playing for his the sixth team of his career, is no stranger to playing under the spotlight of having championship aspirations.
Asked whether or not this Cavs team has the right pieces in place to fulfill those lofty expectations, Harden didn't mince words.
"Yeah. Yes, yes," the 36-year-old asserted. "I don't know how many times I really said that throughout the course of my career. Given the depth, given the shooting, the athleticism, the versatility that we have, yes."
So far, the early returns on Harden have been through the roof. In three games, with NBA superstar averaging 19.3 points and 8.7 assists per game. Against the lowly Washington Wizards on Wednesday night, Harden took on more of a facilitator role, scoring only 13 points on four field goal attempts, while dishing out 11 assists in a 138-113 win.
It was sharpshooter Sam Merrill who really stole the spotlight, dropping a career-high 32 points on 11-of-12 shooting. That's the versatility that Harden eluded to.
"That's the beauty of this team," Harden said. "Got somebody that can out there and score 30 and you don't have to do nothing. It makes a lot of sense, especially in the postseason. You're gonna need other players to step up. Obviously, the main guys are gonna be the main guys – we get a lot of the focus and attention – but guys like Sam and [Jaylon Tyson] and just everybody else that can make their shots and put the defense on their heels. I don't know how you stop it."
So far, Harden has been adaptable to whatever head coach Kenny Atkinson has needed him to be, and he's contributed at a high level despite not having a single practice with his new teammates.
It certainly feels like the sky is the limit for this new look Cavaliers team, especially considering Evan Mobley hasn't even been brought into the fold since the deadline, nursing a calf injury.
With the Cavs now officially hitting the All-Star Break, sustaining this rhythm for the home stretch of the season through March, early April, while continuing to build chemistry with Harden and other new additions like Keon Ellis and Dennis Schröder could determine just how far Cleveland can go come playoff time.