Cleveland’s James Harden Experiment Has Become a Liability They Can’t Afford to Ignore

The pattern is becoming impossible to overlook: James Harden arrives at a new season out of shape and seemingly disengaged while the situation around him deteriorates. The start to this campaign has gone badly for the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the frustration centers squarely on Harden himself.

It would be unfair to place the entire burden on him. This version of the roster has wrestled with the same recurring problems for nearly the entire decade.

Head coach Kenny Atkinson doesn’t project as the leader capable of reversing the trend, and his players look lost on both ends of the floor. Donovan Mitchell has lost a step athletically and no longer looks like the ideal complement to Harden. The steady churn of mid-tier wings continues, with Peyton Watson proving no more effective than his predecessors, Max Strus and De’Andre Hunter. And once again the team is thin up front, with Thomas Bryant overmatched during his minutes off the bench.

There is plenty of blame to distribute, yet the most glaring concern remains Harden. He has reached the 20-point mark only once this season, has yet to record double-digit assists in any contest, and is shooting just 36.4% from the field and 35.5% from beyond the arc.

The starting five carries a -17.9 net rating, second-worst in the league. Yet the other four starters post a neutral net rating when playing without him. Mitchell grades out at +18.6 with Harden off the floor, while Harden sits at -13.7 without Mitchell. In short, Cleveland can still function as an elite team with Mitchell on the court, while Harden clearly weighs them down.

The eye test is even less flattering than the numbers. Opponents routinely blitz Harden when he runs the offense, and he can no longer counter it effectively. He appears to be at his slowest, both physically and in terms of decision-making. He’s connecting on only 37.7% of his attempts at the rim and struggles to finish through contact or knock down his floater with any consistency.

The most damaging aspect, though, is his effort. He was never a high-energy defender, but the drop-off this year is severe. Attackers can isolate him and blow past him, or drag him into pick-and-roll coverage where he neither contains his man nor rotates cleanly to the screener.

Cleveland needs to adjust Harden’s role. He already appears frustrated, so the downside of moving him to the bench seems limited. Meleek Thomas looks better equipped for a starting role and supplies far more energy on defense. Even if the Cavaliers found a trade partner, they’re locked into Harden until December 15, when newly signed free agents become movable. Another club may believe it can get him to recommit, but for now, that path looks closed in Cleveland.

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