Currently on his fourth team in six years, Cleveland Cavaliers guard James Harden is on a tear. Through 45 games this season, Harden has averaged 25.4 points, eight assists, and four rebounds. Harden’s former team, the Los Angeles Clippers, may be on the verge of a rebuild. This is despite retaining star forward Kawhi Leonard. Indiana Pacers center Ivica Zubac was traded before the deadline alongside Harden. Both players were critical components of the Clippers’ offense.
While Darius Garland is seen as a good acquisition for the Clippers’ long-term future, people have had mixed opinions on Harden in The Land. Citing his age and past playoff meltdowns, Harden may be a risky acquisition to make for a team looking to contend, such as the Cavs. However, what does Harden bring to the table? And how does his first game showcase his fit with the team?
James Harden in Cleveland Makes the Difference For the Cavaliers
The System
James Harden has had some impressive numbers this year. This season, at the age of 36, Harden has the 19th-highest usage rate in the NBA. This is below Kawhi Leonard’s, as well as his current teammate, Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell.
Harden had a significant team impact on the Clippers as well. Whereas the NBA’s average offensive rating is about 115.7, the currently 10th-seeded Clippers had an offensive rating of 120.4 with Harden on the floor (excluding garbage time). Without Harden, however, the Clippers fell all the way down to an offensive rating of 108.5.
Harden excels in playing in the pick-and-roll and using handoffs. This allows Harden to showcase his passing, particularly his pocket passes and lobs. Harden was able to feed Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen the ball multiple times during his Cavaliers debut. Among his other offensive skills, Harden can draw fouls at a high level, shooting 7.6 free throws per game this season.
Looking at the true shooting percentages of centers with whom Harden has played for more than 1,000 minutes, we see a significant improvement in their performance. Zubac, for instance, had a true shooting percentage of 67.4% with Harden on the court. This dipped to 62.3% when Harden was off the court.
The Second Fiddle
Donovan Mitchell’s past season with Cleveland was widely considered to be an off year. The seven-time All-Star‘s production went down by a notable margin in all major statistics. However, in 49 games played this year, Mitchell is proving his doubters wrong. The Cavs’ star guard is averaging a career high in points and steals, as well as averaging the second most in rebounds and assists for his career.
Harden will have to fill the role that Darius Garland once had on the Cavs. Unlike Harden, Garland is good at moving off-ball, allowing him to co-exist alongside Mitchell during his tenure in Cleveland. Mitchell is the focal point of the Cavs’ motion offense, where Harden will have to fit in.
Feb 7, 2026; Sacramento, California, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard James Harden (1) shoots over Sacramento Kings guard-forward Daeqwon Plowden (29) during the fourth quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Lee-Imagn Images
Harden’s three-point shooting could make up for his lack of off-ball movement. With the second-most threes made by any player in NBA history, he is equally adept at catch-and-shoot shots as well as isolation threes. Harden displayed this in his debut for Cleveland, going 5-of-8 from deep. He also made a clutch three-pointer with a little more than two and a half minutes to go in the fourth quarter to put the Cavs up by one.
Aside from Harden, the Cavaliers have added three-and-D guards Keon Ellis and Dennis Schröder, bolstering the Cavs’ backcourt with solid backup guards. The Eastern Conference is highly competitive as of now, with seeds two through six being neck and neck in season standings. And while the playoffs will be a bloodbath, Cleveland’s trade deadline moves, better injury management, and the performance of their new additions can help them secure a berth to at least the Eastern Conference Finals.
© Dennis Lee-Imagn Images