The James Harden era of the Cleveland Cavaliers began with a close win over one of the worst teams in the NBA on Saturday.
The Cavaliers came back to beat the Sacramento Kings, in Harden’s first debut with the team after a trade deadline move from the Los Angeles Clippers. Harden finished the game with 23 points on 7-of-13 shooting, with 15 of those points coming in the fourth quarter.
Harden made his mark when Cleveland was down 121-116 with fewer than four minutes to go. He made 3-pointers on back-to-back possessions to put his team ahead, and also made four free throws in the final 30 seconds to put the game away.
It had been previously shaping up to be a rough debut for the 11-time All-Star. The Cavaliers’ defense in particular looked like it needed work with Harden getting his first minutes in the system, but big nights from Donovan Mitchell (35 points) and Jarrett Allen (29 points) helped offset those struggles.
Harden’s time with the Clippers ended abruptly last week, when the team sent him to Cleveland in exchange for fellow All-Star guard Darius Garland. Harden spent two and a half seasons in Los Angeles, but a disappointing first half of the season led the Clippers to revamping the supporting cast around Kawhi Leonard.
In Cleveland, Harden joined a franchise currently in playoff position, but a step behind their 64-win season last year. He brings a lengthy history as one of the NBA’s top offensive engines and forms a dynamic backcourt with Mitchell, though with some overlapping skillsets (an issue with Garland as well).
The real question is if Harden can overcome a track record of underperformance come playoff time. That answer is months away, so all he can do for now is focus on getting up to speed with his sixth NBA team.
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