This is a time when the self-interests of the Cavs & James Harden align.
1. The best team in the NBA since the calendar turned to 2026 is … the Detroit Pistons. Ditto for the Cavs. Both are 15-5. In fact, the Cavs have won 10 of their last 11 games. 2. As coach Kenny Atkinson pointed out, the Cavs were playing much better before the trades adding James Harden, Dennis Schroder and Keon Ellis.
On Dec. 29, the Cavs were stumbling around with a 17-16 record. After that, the Cavs were 13-5 before the trades – and have won four in a row since. 3. Atkinson on the Cavs now winning: “We got healthier and we also embraced the struggle of not playing well. I go back to our leaders, guys like Don and Evan . They are so even-keel and they kept everyone else that way. Eventually, I knew we’d come out of it.”Learn more and sign up here. 4. The coaches also made moves. Rising star Jaylon Tyson took on a bigger role in the offense, especially before Harden arrived. Young players Craig Porter Jr. and Nae’Qwan Tomlin received more minutes. Atkinson put together an energized defensive-minded unit with those three and veteran big man Thomas Bryant. Jarrett Allen is averaging 21.6 points and 10.9 rebounds in last seven games since Evan Mobley was injured.5. More Atkinson: “J.A. is like a completely different person since the start of the year. Early in the season, he hurt his fingers. He was out for a while and then conditioned like mad … when Evan went out, I believe J.A. has been the best center in the league. This is the best we’ve seen him since I’ve been here … The guys are calling him ‘Wilt.’” 6. Mobley has missed the last seven games due to a calf injury. In that span, the Cavs are 6-1. Allen is averaging 21.6 points, 10.9 rebounds while shooting 76%. The “Wilt” reference is to Hall of Famer Wilt Chamberlain. 7. The Cavs are 9-4 without Mobley this season. In those 13 games, Allen is averaging 19 points and 9.3 rebounds. When fans and some media members want to trade Allen, consider how the Cavs would be without him when Mobley is hurt. The 6-foot-10 Allen is their only other starter-level big man. 8. Atkinson on Allen: “I have to get him involved more, especially early in the game. It’s important that he touches the ball. I also can do a better job of separating him and Evan .”the Cavs are 22-9 when Sam Merrill plays. They are 12-12 when he’s hurt: “He’s a connector. Just having him on the floor helps everyone.” Merrill is a terrific outside shooter. He also is a gritty defender. He keeps the ball moving. If he doesn’t have a shot, he quickly passes to someone else. 10. Now, the trades. This has taken the Cavs to a new level. Instead of seeing the passive Lonzo Ball and De’Andre Hunter coming off the bench, the Cavs added a pair of basketball zealots in Schroder and Ellis. These guys hustle, scramble and defend. Schroder would have been a major asset bringing the ball up the court vs. Indiana’s pressure defense in the playoffs last season. Atkinson incorporates Schroder and Ellis with Tomlin and Porter all coming off the bench. This has made the Cavs a tougher defensive team.Traded to the Clippers for Harden, Garland has struggled since his turf toe injury in the 2025 playoffs. This season, the Cavs had a 13-13 record with Garland and 18-8 without him before he was traded. 12. This season, the Cavs ranked No. 5 in defensive efficiency when Garland wasn’t on the court. They were 25th when he did play. Atkinson was in a tough spot. He was playing Garland knowing the Cavs were a significantly better team when he was not on the court this season. The same also was true of Hunter. Garland and Hunter were the team’s two worst plus/minus rotation players this season. Hunter was traded to Sacramento for Schroder and Ellis. 13. Since being traded to Sacramento, Hunter has played 51 minutes in two games, shooting 4 for 19 from the field. He scored 15 points and had three rebounds. He is out with an It’s not supposed to be a major injury. Garland is out indefinitely with the Clippers as his surgically repaired toe has been a problem.14. That brings us to Harden, who has been terrific in his three games with the Cavs. He’s playing savvy, unselfish basketball. He can set up the offense, and take some of the ball-handling burden off Donovan Mitchell. 15. Atkinson on Harden: “He makes the game easy for everyone else. We haven’t had a real practice with him, but he’s already helping the guys. It takes a great player to do that … He has an elite I.Q. He moves the chess pieces around the court. Don does it, too. It’s a luxury to have two guys like that.” 16. Harden is 36 years old. He has been to the NBA Finals once . He has been to the Western Conference Finals twice . He desperately wants a championship ring. He believes the Cavs have the talent to do something special this season. 17. Harden said: “I love basketball. I watch it when I’m not playing. Here we have shooting. We have athletic bigs . We have a head honcho in Don . We have great coaching. We all know why I’m here. If it means me taking only four shots , I’ll do it … to win the game. Scoring has never been a problem for me. I’m in the top 10 in scoring all-time.” 18. Harden has played in three games . In the 132-126 victory in Sacramento, he scored 14 points in the fourth quarter as the Cavs came from behind. In the 119-117 victory in Denver, Harden had 10 desperately needed rebounds along with seven assists and 22 points. He helped defend inside in key parts of the game. Against Washington, he took only four shots from the field. He had 11 assists and kept feeding the ball to a hot-shooting Merrill and Allen inside. 19. Mitchell on Harden: “He sees the game at a different level. He’s helping to coach on the bench … Ownership has been aggressive . In the locker room, we understand the belief . We just have to go out and do it … the time is now.” 20. This is a moment when the interest of the Cavs and Harden come together. He wants his contract for next season reworked. His contract for 2026-27 is for $42 million, only $13 million guaranteed. He knows delivering a title – or even a deep playoff run – can help him reach that goal. And as Mitchell said, “This could be the last chance for James to get a ring. We all know that.”I'm grateful to my readers who have read me for decades. I'm the author of more than 30 books, a winner of the National Headliner Award as the nation's best sports columnist in 2020 and best sports writer in...
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