The Cleveland Cavaliers doubled down on their James Harden gamble this offseason. To be fair, they didn't have much of a choice; keeping him in town was a no-brainer after the Darius Garland trade, even with his miscues.
Harden played well enough in the regular season to get a new contract before his usual postseason woes emerged. Now, four games into the campaign, it looks like he's still in playoff mode for Kenny Atkinson's team.
The future Hall of Famer hasn't shot the ball well, and the Cavs are winning in spite of him, not because of him. Unfortunately, that might be the new normal at this point in his career— he's not getting any younger.
The Cavaliers will have to deal with James Harden's decline
Through four games, Harden has averaged 15.8 points per game. That's far below expectations, but it's the biggest problem. The fact that he's shooting 32.7 percent from the floor and 29.0 percent from beyond the arc is a problem. His 49.0 percent shooting percentage has left plenty to be desired.
Harden is known for his scoring and his playmaking. He's averaging 6.8 assists per game, but with 3.8 turnovers and no defensive contributions, he might be hurting the team more than he's helping it.
That's unlikely to be much better any time soon. Even if he starts shooting the ball better, not many guys add more layers to their game as they grow older, and Harden has never been the one to focus on improving his game.
If he's not getting to the line, scoring, or taking care of the ball, what is he even giving the team beyond an additional ball-handler? And how do you cope with him when teams attack and expose him in the playoffs, as they usually do?
Harden is one of the greatest scorers to ever walk the face of the Earth, but his shot selection has always been baffling. He's gotten away with taking wild and heavily contested shots for most of his career just because he makes them, not because they're good shots.
That otherworldly shot-making ability will be the first thing to go away when he can't create separation or his release isn't as quick as it used to be, and we might be witnessing that unfold in real time.
The Cavs laid their bed with James Harden, and, sadly, that bet may not pay off.
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