The Cleveland Cavaliers' decision to trade for James Harden was as bold as it was polarizing. They gave away a homegrown All-Star who was a decade younger to make a playoff run with a player known for his postseason meltdowns.
More than that, the Cavaliers also knew they had to make a long-term financial commitment in the offseason. Even so, they still pulled the trigger to pair Donovan Mitchell with a fellow Adidas athlete and ball-dominant guard.
They knew one another and had worked out multiple times because of their endorsement deals, and they hit it off right away on the court. Unfortunately, however, his usual woes came back to haunt them in the playoffs.
There were legitimate doubts about whether Harden would figure things out as the Robin to Mitchell's Batman, and his inefficient playoff run only aggravated that. Nonetheless, coach Mike D'Antoni isn't too worried about his former pupil.
Mike D'Antoni thinks James Harden will figure it out
“He will always figure it out, because the guy is one of the most intelligent players I’ve coached. Even though he’s maybe not as proficient as in his best days, he’s still really, really good. I think people lose sight of that,” the former Houston Rockets coach told Action Network's Kyle Odegard.
That means a lot, coming from the coach who helped Harden be his best version. He put the ball in his hands, slid him to the point guard spot, and let him roam free to become one of the deadliest pick-and-roll playmakers and scorers the game has ever seen.
Clearly, a lot has transpired since that, and the Cavs don't even need him to be that guy. What they need for him is to be nonchalant in big moments, act like someone who's been there and done that, and take pressure off Mitchell's shoulders when it matters the most.
Skill-wise, there's no doubt that Harden can be one of the most impactful sidekicks in basketball history. For better or worse, he's a one-man system, a plug-and-play guy who doesn't even need to practice with a team to make their offense better.
The Cavs need Harden to honor his former coach's words and play with the intelligence of the master puppeteer he's shown he can be. They need him to embrace his role behind Mitchell and complement him, not get in his way.
Playoffs aside, the early returns of this partnership were fairly encouraging. That said, this team isn't built for the regular season, and they've been through more than enough postseason heartbreak, even before his arrival.
For Koby Altman and the Cavs' sake, Harden can't be his old self in the playoffs again this season. And if that means taking a step back and realizing he's not that guy anymore, do the hard work, and play off the ball more often than he's used to, he has to be smart and humble enough to do it.
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