The Cavaliers don’t need a trade to start changing the feel of their offense. They may just need to hand the keys to a different guy more often.
As Kenny Atkinson looks for a way to shake a 5-6 start, one idea is sitting right in front of him: give Donovan Mitchell more of the responsibility to initiate possessions, and let James Harden spend more time away from the ball. Anthony Pedone of Cavaliers On SI has made that case, and it’s easy to see why the conversation is happening now.
The offense has too often felt like labor instead of flow. Harden was brought in to make things simpler for Mitchell and open cleaner looks for the big men, but the results haven’t consistently matched that idea.
Harden is averaging 5.7 assists and about three turnovers, and while that assist number matters, it doesn’t tell the whole story. The Cavs still need those possessions to put real pressure on defenses, especially when Harden’s own scoring has been hard to come by.
Mitchell has already shown he can handle more of that load. Pedone points to last season, when Darius Garland was out and Mitchell took on a bigger playmaking role. In those 19 games in 2023-24, Mitchell averaged 29.1 points and 7.1 assists.
The challenge is using that skill without asking Mitchell to rescue every dead possession. More reps with him starting the action could give Cleveland a different look, while Harden still runs the offense in staggered minutes. Atkinson could also test lineups that give Mitchell more shooting and more movement around him.
Of course, Harden would have to adapt as well. If he’s off the ball, he still has to stay engaged and make that role matter. Otherwise, the Cavs would just be shifting the same issue to another spot on the floor.
This isn’t about a coaching change. The sense is that Atkinson isn’t in danger.
But there’s plenty for him to sort through, and the Cavs have enough experience to try a different distribution of responsibilities. Eleven games is too early for sweeping judgments, but it’s not too early to see that the current setup needs work.
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James Harden has been part of that conversation, and so has Peyton Watson, whose play has slipped from what he gave last season. When the production from important additions and veterans falls off at the same time, the pressure inevitably rolls uphill, and Atkinsons margin for error may not stay wide for long if Cleveland cannot find some traction soon. [Read more 🡒]