The Cleveland Cavaliers didn't trade for James Harden to turn Donovan Mitchell into a secondary scoring option. Yet seven games into the season, that's exactly what their offensive arrangement is beginning to resemble. Cleveland's best player is taking fewer shots, scoring significantly less and seemingly adjusting his game to accommodate a teammate whose reputation is doing considerably more heavy lifting than his actual production.
Mitchell averaged 27.9 points last season. He's now averaging 21.9 on just 15.9 field-goal attempts per game. Meanwhile, Harden is contributing 16.3 points while shooting a miserable 39.1 percent from the field. Those numbers should make Cleveland seriously reconsider who is sacrificing what, because the current arrangement makes absolutely no sense.
Mitchell is 30 years old and operating at or near his prime. Harden is 37, and his best basketball is firmly behind him. There's nothing disrespectful about acknowledging that reality, especially when Cleveland has championship aspirations that depend on maximizing its most dangerous offensive player.
The Cavaliers need to stop asking Mitchell to make room for Harden and start demanding that Harden figure out how to complement Mitchell.
Donovan Mitchell should be taking nearly 20 shots every night
The decline in Mitchell's offensive involvement didn't begin this season, but it has reached a point where Cleveland can no longer ignore it.
Before Harden arrived last season, Mitchell was averaging 28.8 points on 20.7 field-goal attempts. After the trade, those numbers slipped to 26 points on 18.6 attempts across 22 regular-season games. That was a reasonable adjustment for a player learning to share the backcourt with another established scorer, especially since Mitchell maintained his 26-point average during the playoffs.
Now he's attempting fewer than 16 shots per game. That's nearly five fewer opportunities than he received before Harden joined the roster, and there's no convincing basketball argument for allowing that trend to continue.
Mitchell hasn't suddenly forgotten how to score. He's shooting 46.8 percent from the field, which makes his reduced workload even more frustrating. Cleveland has an efficient, explosive scorer capable of taking over games, yet its offense isn't consistently giving him enough opportunities to do so.
Mitchell should be approaching 20 field-goal attempts per game. That doesn't mean he needs to dominate every possession or abandon the ball movement that makes Cleveland dangerous. It means his scoring aggression should dictate how the Cavaliers operate rather than becoming something he sacrifices to accommodate everyone else.
James Harden's résumé shouldn't determine Cleveland's offensive hierarchy
Nobody needs a history lesson about Harden's accomplishments. The former MVP built a Hall of Fame career by dominating possessions, creating offense and scoring at a level few players could match. That version of Harden deserves tremendous respect, but Cleveland cannot keep confusing what he accomplished years ago with what he's delivering today.
Through seven games, Harden is averaging 16.3 points on 12.4 shots while committing three turnovers per contest. His 6.3 assists demonstrate that he can contribute as a facilitator, but his 39.1 percent shooting hardly justifies asking Mitchell to surrender additional offensive responsibility.
The Cavaliers acquired Harden to improve their chances of winning with Mitchell, not to build an offense that treats both players as though they're equally capable of carrying the scoring burden at this stage of their careers.
If someone needs to reduce his shot attempts, it should be Harden. Cleveland would benefit considerably more from having him organize possessions, create opportunities for Evan Mobley and help Mitchell get favorable matchups than from watching him consume possessions that should belong to the franchise's best scorer.
Harden has already enjoyed years of being the unquestioned centerpiece of an offense. In Cleveland, that privilege belongs to someone else. His willingness to accept that distinction will determine how valuable he can actually be to this team.
Kenny Atkinson needs to put Donovan Mitchell back in charge
Kenny Atkinson has enough talent at his disposal to construct an offense that benefits everyone without diminishing Mitchell. The problem isn't having two accomplished guards who need the basketball. It's allowing the presence of one to reduce the effectiveness of the other.
Mitchell should be the first scoring option, the player Cleveland prioritizes when possessions become difficult and the offensive force opponents must account for before worrying about anyone else. Harden can remain an important contributor without receiving the same offensive freedom he enjoyed during his prime.
That distinction becomes even more important when the Cavaliers struggle to close games. Monday's loss to Oklahoma City offered another reminder of what happens when Cleveland's established stars fail to impose themselves offensively. Mitchell finished with 17 points on 17 attempts, while Harden managed 14 points on 10 shots. Cleveland cannot afford to make underwhelming production from its backcourt a recurring feature of this season.
Atkinson needs to establish an unmistakable hierarchy before these early offensive compromises become permanent habits. Mitchell has already demonstrated that he's willing to adjust his game for the benefit of the team. Now it's time for Harden to make the greater adjustment.
Cleveland's championship hopes should revolve around getting the absolute best out of Donovan Mitchell, not preserving James Harden's status as an offensive superstar.
Harden came to Cleveland to help Mitchell win a championship. He needs to start playing like he understands whose team he joined.
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