The Cavaliers’ rough opening has pushed one issue to the front of the conversation: the offense does not look settled, and Monday night’s loss to the Hornets only sharpened that concern.
The biggest question centers on James Harden’s fit as the full-time point guard. He was expected to handle that job after Darius Garland’s departure last season, especially after averaging 8.1 assists per game for the Clippers before arriving in Cleveland.
But the numbers since last season’s seven-game first-round matchup with the Toronto Raptors have pointed in the wrong direction. Harden is averaging 5.7 assists per game this season, down from 7.7 last season.
That drop matters because the Cavaliers are not getting enough playmaking from the position that is supposed to run the show. Harden’s turnovers have not gone away, either. He is still sitting at about 3 turnovers per game, which drags his assist-to-turnover rate down to 1.9, compared with 2.4 assists per turnover last season.
The advanced numbers paint the same picture. Harden’s turnover percentage is the fourth highest it has been in his 18 NBA seasons, while his assist percentage is at its lowest since 2011.
If Cleveland keeps rolling out Harden and Donovan Mitchell without a change, the fit gets awkward fast. It creates a logjam at shooting guard, because even if Harden is listed at point guard, both he and Mitchell are operating like scoring guards. Until one of them fully takes on the lead distributor role, the offense is likely to keep fighting itself.
There is another path, though, and it starts with Mitchell. In JB Bickerstaff’s final season as head coach, Darius Garland missed an extended stretch after breaking his jaw, and Mitchell handled point guard duties exceptionally well during that run. Over 19 games without Garland in the 2023-24 season, Mitchell averaged 29.1 points, 7.1 assists, and 5.1 rebounds.
Those are huge numbers for a player who had never really spent an extended stretch at point guard before or since. If Kenny Atkinson shifts Mitchell into that role and moves Harden to shooting guard, Mitchell’s scoring would likely dip a bit, but his assist totals should rise.
Atkinson also has the kind of background that makes that switch believable. He has coached D’Angelo Russell to his best season, served as lead assistant for Steph Curry’s second chapter while helping develop Jordan Poole, and helped Darius Garland guide a Cavaliers offense that produced a record-breaking 64-win season.
If Cleveland makes a significant offensive adjustment, it may not happen immediately. The most likely window is the upcoming homestand, a four-game stretch that begins Saturday on the second night of a back-to-back against the Mavericks and runs through Friday against the Pacers.
In Other News...
Cavs Already Facing Heat Over Their James Harden Bet
The Cavaliers brought James Harden back on a three-year, $97 million deal after their run to the Eastern Conference Finals, betting that his shot creation and playoff pedigree would help keep them in the conferences top tier. Instead, the early portion of the 2026-27 season has been choppier than expected, with Harden still producing offense but not at the level Cleveland envisioned when it committed that kind of money in the offseason.
Through 12 games, the fit has already become a talking point as Harden has struggled to find the same efficiency and consistency that made the move look so appealing in the first place. Cleveland sits at 6-6 and sixth in the East, which is hardly a disaster this early, but it is enough to make the Harden decision feel like one the Cavaliers will be asked about until he starts looking more like the player they paid for. [Read more 🡒]
Cavaliers Suddenly Have A Sam Merrill Decision Fans Didn't Expect
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The complication is that Merrill is still working through an elbow injury that has affected his shooting, which makes the timing of any evaluation tricky. Cleveland would like to see his performance rebound as he gets healthier, but interest from other teams has only sharpened the question of whether the Cavaliers should hold onto him or explore moving him while his market remains active. [Read more 🡒]
Why Mark Price Still Means So Much To Cavaliers Fans
The Cavaliers have long kept Mark Price in a special place in their history, and the franchise made that official on Nov. 13, 1999, when it retired his No. 25 jersey during halftime of a game against the Milwaukee Bucks. Price became only the sixth player in team history to receive that honor, a reminder of how deeply his steady play and professional approach still resonate with Cleveland fans.
The ceremony carried the kind of old-school weight that fit Price perfectly, with Wayne Embry and Bobby Cremins on hand to speak about his impact. He was also presented with a piece of the old Richfield Coliseum floor, a symbolic touch that tied his Cavaliers legacy to one of the franchises most memorable eras. [Read more 🡒]