We're officially 10 games into the regular season, and the Cleveland Cavaliers are 5-5. Slow starts can be misleading, and there have been some injuries, but in the greater scheme of things, it looks like that's the type of team they are right now.
Peyton Watson hasn't acclimated, and they haven't given Mario Hezonja a long leash, and Evan Mobley hasn't taken another step. Donovan Mitchell has bent over backward to shoot his way into a win, as usual, but he's just one man.
That said, while it's impossible and unfair to blame one single person for the team's inconsistency, James Harden should definitely rank high on that list. He's given the team absolutely nothing on defense (surprise), and now it seems like he's not doing much on offense either.
Father Time may have finally caught up to James Harden
Harden's shot isn't falling right now. He shot 2-for-9 and had just seven points in the home loss to the New York Knicks, and that has been a common issue this season— he's averaging 15.7 points per game on 36.6 percent from the floor and a true shooting percentage of 54.1 percent.
Harden's assist totals are also underwhelming (5.8 assists per game), especially for a player turning the ball over 2.9 times a game. He's never been good — or interested — on defense, so he doesn't bring much value when he's not helping the team put the ball through the hoop, either.
At this point, one can only wonder whether Kenny Atkinson should have an open heart with him and make the obvious move: Bench him. He'd still be able to make an impact, and the team would get the backup point guard they so clearly need. He should embrace that Russell Westbrook-type role. Unfortunately, he may not want anything to do with that.
To be fair, Harden has had an incredible career. Controversies and playoff struggles aside, he'll still go down as one of the deadliest offensive forces to ever lace them up, and he'd be a first-ballot Hall of Famer if he retired tomorrow.
Still, Father Time is ruthless and spares no victims. He's 37, and he's lost a step; that's just impossible to deny. Some athletes have a tough time dealing with that reality, but that's just an inevitable ending to every career.
Harden used to get out with some wild shots because of his ability to create separation and insane volume. He's not that guy anymore, and he won't give this team much if he turns the ball over, can't score, doesn't get to the line, and doesn't play defense.
Maybe, doubling down on him was a mistake. Who would've thought.
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