The Cleveland Cavaliers are officially undefeated in the James Harden era. It's been just one game, and it was against the 12-42 Sacramento Kings -- or what's left of them -- but that's beyond the point right now.
Harden had 15 points in the fourth quarter to lead a comeback and a tight 132-126 road win. He finished his first game with the Cavs with 23 points on 7-of-13 shooting, adding two boards, eight assists, one steal, and five three-pointers.
Following the win, Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson praised him for being so good despite not getting through a single practice of shootaround. Notably, ESPN insider Brian Windhorst thought those comments were a little fishy.
Brian Windhorst is intrigued by James Harden's absence at practice
Windhorst said on The Hoop Collective: "I don't know where he was, but he didn't practice on Wednesday, he didn't practice on Thursday, he didn't practice on Friday, and he didn't come to shoot around on Saturday."
This stood out as strange for the ESPN analyst because of the timing. The Cavs were in Los Angeles for a game against his old team on Wednesday. The opportunity to connect should have been there.
Windhorst added that Harden was probably shooting his new Adidas commercial or that he probably had to get his life together after being traded. Even so, with the team in Los Angeles, it was odd that he wasn't there for any practice or shootaround.
Of course, Harden has been in the league for 16 years now. He's the ultimate plug-and-play offensive force, even at this point in his career. Also, teams practice less often nowadays, and they may not want to put that much pressure on a 36-year-old.
Then again, this should raise some eyebrows, coming from a player like Harden. He has a long and well-documented history of questionable behavior off the court, and his work ethic -- or lack thereof -- has often been a topic of discussion.
Windhorst admitted that he didn't have all the information, which is why he didn't rush to make any accusation. That's fair, and it's the way it should be, but with Harden's track record, that might be something to keep an eye on.
Harden claimed that he wanted to play in Cleveland because they gave him a chance to win a championship. That's certainly the case, but they will also need him to be focused solely on hooping and winning.