The Cavaliers didn’t bring in James Harden to watch Donovan Mitchell drift into the background, but seven games in, that’s the shape this offense is starting to take. Mitchell is scoring less, shooting less and doing more of the adjusting, while Harden’s name still carries more weight than his numbers right now.
Mitchell is averaging 21.9 points on 15.9 field-goal attempts per game. Last season, he put up 27.9 points.
Harden, meanwhile, is at 16.3 points while shooting 39.1 percent from the field. That’s the kind of split that should force Cleveland to rethink who is giving up what in this arrangement.
The bigger issue is that Mitchell is still the player Cleveland should be leaning on most. He’s 30 and in or near his prime.
Harden is 37, and the source of his value now has to be different from the one he brought in his best years. Cleveland’s championship hopes depend on getting the most out of Mitchell, not on treating Harden like the offensive centerpiece he once was.
The drop in Mitchell’s shot volume didn’t begin this season, but it has now reached a point where it can’t be brushed aside. Before Harden arrived last season, Mitchell was averaging 28.8 points on 20.7 field-goal attempts.
After the trade, that dipped to 26 points on 18.6 attempts over 22 regular-season games. That was one thing.
Now he’s down below 16 shots a night, and that’s a much harder sell.
What makes it even more frustrating is that Mitchell is still efficient. He’s shooting 46.8 percent from the field, which only sharpens the case that Cleveland should be giving him more chances, not fewer. He doesn’t need to hijack every possession, but he should be closer to 20 field-goal attempts per game than where he is now.
Harden’s track record is not in question. Nobody needs to be reminded what he accomplished as an MVP and as one of the league’s great offensive engines.
But Cleveland has to deal with the player in front of it now, not the one from years ago. Through seven games, Harden is averaging 16.3 points on 12.4 shots, with three turnovers per game and 6.3 assists.
That’s useful production, but it doesn’t justify asking Mitchell to step back further.
If someone should be trimming his shot diet, it’s Harden. Cleveland would get more from him as a playmaker who helps organize possessions, sets up Evan Mobley and gets Mitchell cleaner looks than from a version of Harden using possessions that should belong to the team’s best scorer.
Kenny Atkinson has the pieces to make this work without shrinking Mitchell. The problem is the balance.
Mitchell needs to be the first option, the player Cleveland turns to when possessions get messy and the one opponents have to plan around first. Harden can still matter plenty without being given the same offensive freedom he had at his peak.
That issue showed up again in Monday’s loss to Oklahoma City. Mitchell finished with 17 points on 17 attempts, and Harden had 14 points on 10 shots. Cleveland can’t keep letting its backcourt underdeliver like that and expect the offense to hold up.
Atkinson needs to make the hierarchy clear before these early compromises harden into something permanent. Mitchell has already shown he’ll bend for the good of the team. Now Harden has to do the same.
In Other News...
Cavaliers Just Stole A Useful Frontcourt Addition From A Rival
Norchad Omier is heading into another NBA opportunity, and this one is coming with a different team than expected. According to NBA insider Michael Scotto, the big man changed his mind about signing a two-way contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves and now plans to join the Cavaliers on a similar deal, giving Cleveland a low-risk frontcourt addition with some pro experience already behind him.
Omier has already spent time in training camp with Minnesota and has also had NBA and G League stops, including a stint with the Clippers, so this is not a total unknown for a team looking to add depth up front. For Cleveland, it is the kind of move that can quietly matter over the long season, while for Omier it is another chance to carve out a foothold in the league and prove he belongs. [Read more 🡒]
LeBron Just Reignited A Kyrie Debate Cavaliers Fans Know Well
LeBron James has a way of turning old Cavaliers debates back into fresh ones, and his latest comments did exactly that. The former Cleveland partners built one of the most memorable stretches in franchise history, pairing LeBrons all-around dominance with Kyrie Irvings shot-making on the way to the 2016 NBA championship, the high-water mark for a team that still measures itself against that title run.
Irving is now with the Dallas Mavericks, while LeBron moved on again this offseason by signing a two-year deal with the Philadelphia 76ers. Even with their careers headed in different directions, their Cleveland connection remains impossible to separate from how fans judge both players, and the renewed conversation around Irvings place in NBA history is only going to keep that bond in the spotlight. [Read more 🡒]
Isaiah Mobleys Next Career Move Will Catch Cavs Fans Attention
Isaiah Mobleys next stop is taking him back to Europe, where the former Cavaliers draft pick has agreed to join Basquet Manresa in Spain, according to the club. For Cleveland fans, it is another reminder of how the organizations recent draft history continues to ripple outward, with Mobley now adding Spain to a pro career that has already included stops in Turkey and Israel.
Mobley was a second-round selection by the Cavaliers in 2022, and his path since then has been a familiar one for players trying to carve out a longer runway in the game. Around the wider basketball world, Killian Hayes has been linked to Maccabi Tel Aviv, Josh Hart has been mentioned as a possible fit for Napoli Basket down the line, and the NBA has also been dealing with questions from U.S. senators about its partnership with Rwanda. [Read more 🡒]