The Cleveland Cavaliers survived for another day. Kenny Atkinson's team made a statement in Game 7 against the Detroit Pistons, and they're now looking to return to the NBA Finals for the first time since LeBron James left again.
Of course, that will be way easier said than done, as they'll square off against a dominant and well-rested New York Knicks team. The Knicks won the season series 2-1, and they'll have homecourt advantage.
As such, Coach Atkinson will have to make major adjustments to avoid falling to a 0-2 deficit like against the Pistons. Notably, that might mean taking the ball out of James Harden's hands to avoid so many live-ball turnovers.
James Harden will have to play off the ball against the Knicks
Harden has 67 turnovers in 14 playoff games this season. That's 4.7 turnovers per game, much of which have come in live-ball situation as and have led to easy buckets for the opposition. He's being overly careless with the ball, and he doesn't even come back on defense.
The Knicks have active perimeter defenders in OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, and Josh Hart. They're always looking to attack passing lanes, and those lazy passes from the top of the key aren't gonna cut it against the Knicks.
Conversely, Donovan Mitchell is averaging just 3.3 assists per game in the playoffs, down from 5.7 during the regular season. He's way more effective when he's looking to get other guys involved, as that also keeps the defense honest. Otherwise, they can just double him, knowing that he's going to shoot every single time he has the ball.
Harden is obviously one of the greatest playmakers of his generation, but he's struggled to get the offense going in the playoffs. The Knicks like to run, and every giveaway will lead to a fast break. That means unnecessary fouls or easy buckets.
Kenny Atkinson needs to shake things up. Mitchell has to take the ball up the court, with Harden playing off the ball more than on it. Of course, he should also run some pick-and-roll sets here and there, but the Cavs can't afford to be as erratic, stagnant, and predictable as they've been at times in the playoffs.
Careless basketball is losing basketball, and Harden has left plenty to be desired in the playoffs for most of his career. He was supposed to have a complementary role anyway, so the Cavs might be better off taking the ball out of his hands.
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