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“The Beard” parlays ballroom reviews into pinpoint passing amid pick-and-roll brilliance. He gains trust in the locker room and on the court, advising young teammates and pushing through pain for the greater good.
The Cavaliers have learned all they can about what to expect from the James Harden experience in a 10-week span. The NBA playoffs are a different beast, though, and 17 seasons into Harden’s career, he is still searching for a route to the mountaintop.
“I’m very, very confident. I’m happy. Life is amazing,” Harden said. “I did a lot of different things. I’ve impacted a lot of different people in a positive way. I’ve impacted the game in a positive way.
“I still work my butt off extremely hard to win a championship. You understand that it’s not a very easy task. There’s a lot that goes into it. [I’m] preparing my mind and body and teammates to go on a run.”
Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson says James Harden has been ’10 out of 10′ with Cavs
The Cavs launched their Harden era on Feb. 3, when they acquired the 11-time All-Star from the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for fellow point guard Darius Garland and a second-round draft pick.
Cleveland executed the blockbuster trade to enhance its chances to capture a title, and the quest will begin in earnest when the fourth-seeded Cavs (52-30) open their best-of-seven first-round playoff series against the fifth-seeded Toronto Raptors (46-36). Game 1 is scheduled to tip off at 1 p.m. Saturday, April 18, at Rocket Arena.
Coach Kenny Atkinson’s No. 1 takeaway from the Harden experience is the Cavs are “a better team” since the NBA’s Most Valuable Player in 2018 arrived.
“He’s been a 10 out of 10 in terms of his play, his leadership, poise, confidence,” Atkinson said. “He’s given us a maturity, some stability. Just super-positive so far.”
The Cavs are Harden’s sixth NBA team, and he has a reputation for fleeing organizations. However, the honeymoon phase can be sweet, and all signs suggest Cleveland’s players and coaches are smitten with Harden.
Listed as 6 feet, 5 inches and 220 pounds, Harden has endeared himself to the Cavs by adapting to their methods without demanding anything, or at least not much.
“He did ask to change one thing,” Atkinson said. “We do ballroom walk-throughs now when we don’t have shootaround.”
To simulate basketball courts in the Cavs’ hotels on the road, members of the team’s video crew affix tape to ballroom floors. The walk-throughs create an invaluable mental tool for visual learners, and they allow Cleveland’s players to communicate with each other while they brush up on plays.
Cleveland Cavaliers are motivated to help James Harden win an NBA title
It’s just one noticeable difference Harden, 36, has made behind the scenes since his arrival in Cleveland. “Teacher” is a label Harden has received from Atkinson.
“He’s a great teammate,” Cavs wing Jaylon Tyson said. “He’ll do anything for his teammates. I don’t want to go into specific details, but he’s definitely taken care of me and a couple young guys in terms of just anything we need.
“As a basketball player, everybody knows who James Harden is — top-75 player ever. Just to be able to learn from him is tremendous. He’s 36, 37, still doing what he does at a high level. It’s crazy. And then his will to win, he wants to win so bad. I feel like for his career, that’s all he hasn’t done. He’s done everything else in the NBA, so he just wants to win, and I want to be there to help him try to achieve that goal.”
Harden has won, but he hasn’t won it all.
“It’s the truth,” Harden said. “That’s why I’m here.”
James Harden’s NBA playoff resume
Harden is set to become the fourth player in NBA history to appear in the playoffs in each of his first 17 seasons, joining Hall of Famers Karl Malone, John Stockton and Tony Parker. Harden has compiled a postseason record of 90-83.
With an Oklahoma City Thunder team led by Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, Harden was the NBA Sixth Man of the Year when OKC lost 4-1 to LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and the rest of the Miami Heat in the 2012 NBA Finals. It was Harden’s lone trip to the NBA Finals.
Harden’s history as a playoff performer has been under the microscope for a while. His regular-season career averages are 24 points on 43.9% shooting from the field (36.4% on 3-pointers), 5.6 rebounds, 7.3 assists and 1.5 steals. His postseason career averages are 22.5 points on 42.5% shooting from the floor (34% on 3s), 5.5 rebounds, 6.5 assists and 1.6 steals.
There isn’t a dramatic disparity between those numbers, yet the main criticism of Harden’s playoff track record stems from his production during crucial games in recent years.
Cleveland Cavs traded for James Harden after going 11-15 in the NBA playoffs the last three years
Despite Harden scoring at least 30 points in 49 of his 173 playoff games, there is a “what have you done for me lately?” narrative hanging over him as he seeks a title.
“There’s more detail and depth that I can go into as far as running up against a dynasty, injuries,” Harden said. “It’s a part of the game, though. So there’s no excuses. I don’t feel bad. I don’t dwell on it. I don’t think back. It’s part of it. It’s life.
“I’m sure we all could look at ourselves and think about certain things that happened over the course of our life that just didn’t go our way and feel bad about it, feel sad. I don’t think like that. I just keep pushing.”
Harden has found a good support group with his Cavs teammates who have gone a combined 11-15 in the postseason the last three years. Since the Cavs acquired seven-time All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell from the Utah Jazz in 2022, they have lost in the first round in 2023 and in the second round in 2024 and 2025. Mitchell has been to the playoffs in every season of his NBA career, yet he has never advanced past Round 2.
In February, Cavs president of basketball operations Koby Altman said he traded for Harden because “he raises our ceiling and gives us a chance to have real playoff success.”
The left-handed Harden has been playing through a fractured right thumb he suffered on Feb. 24 in a win over the New York Knicks. He sidestepped questions about the injured thumb as the Cavs prepared for the Raptors.
Atkinson said Harden doesn’t complain about the setback, adding, “He doesn’t want to draw attention to any type of injury, and it’s unique.”
In Harden’s 26 games with the Cavs, they have gone 19-7. He is averaging 20.5 points on 46.6% shooting from the field (43.5% on 3s), 4.8 rebounds, 7.7 assists and 33.8 minutes with Cleveland.
“We’ve improved our efficiency with him. The stats scream it out,” Atkinson said. “But stylistically, we’ve changed a little bit, right? Not playing as fast. Definitely more isolations. But I wouldn’t say we’ve changed drastically. I think he has adapted kind of more to what we do, which has been a real pleasant surprise.”
The Cavs have praised Harden for his elite passing, with Atkinson comparing the veteran to “an accurate quarterback.” They have also lauded Harden for quickly establishing himself as a big-man whisperer to center Jarrett Allen and forward Evan Mobley.
“Having James fit in was easy,” Allen said. “He’s been with so many systems. He’s so open to criticism as well, so open to trying to change his game to fit in with the people who have been here.”
Cleveland’s transition to Harden has been seamless enough for the Cavs to rally around him as an inspirational figure. Mitchell explained he talked to Harden about “his last chance to try to go ahead and get a ring” in their first conversation after the Cavs and Clippers swapped point guards.
“We haven’t gotten to the championship, either, so we want it for him, for us, for everybody on the team,” Mobley said. “I think this is the year.”
Is Mobley’s optimism warranted? To a significant degree, the answer hinges on Harden.
Nate Ulrich is the sports columnist of the Akron Beacon Journal and a sports features writer. Nate can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cavs love how James Harden fits, but trade will be judged in playoffs
Reporting by Nate Ulrich, Akron Beacon Journal / Akron Beacon Journal
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