James Harden’s playoff run with the Cleveland Cavaliers last spring came with a hidden complication, and he said it plainly: he was fighting through an injury.
Harden revealed that the left thumb he broke in February was still bothering him during the postseason, which helps explain why his play dipped as Cleveland’s run deepened. He was solid at times, but the closer the Cavaliers got to the finish line, the more the struggles showed up.
That matters even more now because Cleveland brought Harden back this offseason on a three-year, $97 million contract. The Cavaliers already have Donovan Mitchell, and Harden is supposed to be the other big piece - the co-star who helps push this group past the finish line after last year’s trip to the Eastern Conference Finals ended without a title shot.
The front office clearly believes this roster can win it all, but the pressure is real. Harden’s regular-season production has always been stronger than his postseason numbers, and that gap has followed him throughout his career.
In the playoffs, he’s averaged 22.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game while shooting 33.7 percent from distance. In the regular season, those numbers climb to 24.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 7.3 assists per game, with a 36.4 percent mark from three.
Last year’s postseason also brought an unwanted stat for Harden: the worst turnover percentage of his career in the playoffs with Cleveland. The thumb issue could have been part of that, but the bigger picture is familiar. Harden has dealt with questions about his playoff production for years, and now he’s back in the spotlight with a major contract and a team that expects him to deliver when the games matter most.
At 37, Harden still doesn’t have a championship on his résumé. For Cleveland, the hope is simple: if he plays at his level in the postseason, the Cavaliers have a real path to the title.
In Other News...
Dean Wades First 76ers Comments Will Sting Cavaliers Fans
Dean Wades move from Cleveland to Philadelphia already made for an awkward summer subplot, and his first comments as a 76er only sharpened it. After leaving the Cavaliers in free agency, Wade signed a four-year deal with the Sixers and spoke about wanting a chance to compete for a championship, a familiar pitch for any veteran changing uniforms but one that still lands differently when it comes after years in Cleveland.
For Cavaliers fans, the sting is less about the contract and more about the timing and the role he is expected to play in Philadelphia. Wade was part of Clevelands recent playoff run and gave the Cavs valuable minutes along the way, so seeing him head elsewhere with an eye on a title chase leaves another reminder of how thin the margin can be for a team trying to stay in the contender conversation. [Read more 🡒]
Donovan Mitchell Distances Himself From Cavaliers Summer Addition
Donovan Mitchell made it clear this week that he was not involved in bringing Peyton Watson to Cleveland, a small but notable footnote to the Cavaliers busy summer. Watson arrived on a four-year, $88 million deal as the kind of three-and-D wing the roster has been built to value, giving the Cavs another versatile piece as they try to firm up the edges of a contender.
Mitchells clarification doesnt change the bigger picture for Cleveland, which added Watson with the expectation that he can help on both ends right away. But it does add a little intrigue to how the move came together, and to how the Cavaliers are distributing credit as they keep shaping a team they believe can chase a championship next season. [Read more 🡒]
Why The Cavaliers Made This Preseason Feel Different
The Cavaliers preseason has been part of a bigger Cleveland sports conversation lately, even with the Guardians celebrating an AL Central title and the Browns dealing with another round of questions about Deshaun Watson and their defense. On a recent podcast episode that ranged across the citys teams, the Cavs came up as part of the fall sports picture, with their preseason work drawing attention alongside talk of the Guardians Division Series plans and broader trends around the game.
For Cleveland fans, that kind of crossover matters because it gives the Cavaliers a place in the citys current sports mood, not just as a separate basketball team but as part of an all-around stretch of local intrigue. The preseason always brings some anticipation, but this one has felt a little different because the conversation around the team is happening in a season where everything else in town seems to be moving too, from baseball to football to the wider sports issues being debated on air. [Read more 🡒]