James Harden, Cavs hope to be each other's missing piece

INDEPENDENCE — James Harden has had some fantastic performances in the playoffs. He's also had some real stinkers. Now in his 17th season, he's never won an NBA championship, something that probably haunts him. Harden has been an MVP, an eight-time All-NBA performer, an 11-time All-Star, a three-time scoring champ and a member of the NBA's 75th Anniversary team. But there's a noticeable void in that impressive resume, a fact he admitted this week. "It's true," the 6-foot-5, 220-pounder said. "That's why I'm here. "I've done so many things that 95% of the world couldn't even imagine. I'm very, very confident. I'm happy. Life is amazing. I can impact the game in a positive way. Winning a championship is not an easy task. A lot goes into it." "The Beard" is ready for the 2026 playoffs to begin. He'll be the starting point guard for the Cavaliers in their best-of-seven series against the Toronto Raptors that starts today. Harden said he realizes the task ahead of No. 4 seed Cleveland against the fifth-seeded Raptors. "We're prepared," he said. "We know what we're facing. Toronto is a really good team. They really get after it defensively." Harden said the playoffs are like a "spin cycle." "There are a lot of ups and downs," he said. "A lot of things happen during the course of games and series and possessions. You have to prepare for anything." Since Harden arrived in Cleveland at the trade deadline, the Cavs are 19-7 with him in the lineup (.731) and 21-9 since they made the deal (.700). His individual numbers in the regular season were peculiar. He averaged 20.5 points with the Cavs, which would have been his lowest scoring average since his 16.6 in 2023-24 with the Los Angeles Clippers. Harden averaged 4.8 rebounds, 7.7 assists and 0.8 steals. He shot .466 from the field, his highest since 2020-21, and .435 from the 3-point line, which would be a career high. He shot .840 from the foul line, which would have been his lowest since his rookie year with the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2009-10. He's averaged 8.2 free throw attempts in his career. However, in 26 games with Cleveland, he attempted just 5.8, which would have been his lowest since 2010-11. His full-season stats were more reminiscent of his career. He was 17th in the NBA in scoring at 23.6 and fourth in assists at 8.0 in 70 games. Harden missed two games in late February when he broke his right thumb. When asked if it was challenging playing with the broken thumb, he replied, "Nope." He wouldn't elaborate further. The core four played together a total of 92 minutes during the regular season. "It took me a game or two to figure out where they liked the ball and what to do and what not to do," Harden said. "We'll figure out what works." Harden said he's "ultra confident" and will play with force in the playoffs. Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson disputed the narrative that Harden hasn't won. "I don't think that's true, that it's championship or nothing," he said. "Sure, we'd all like to win a championship. That doesn't mean you're not successful. He's gone far in the playoffs and had an incredible career." The Raptors won all three matchups with Cleveland in the regular season, but Atkinson said the Cavs are a different team now. The additions of Harden, Keon Ellis and Dennis Schroder have changed things drastically. Also, former Cavs guard Darius Garland didn't play in any of those three games before being traded to the Clippers. "We're a better team with those additions," Atkinson said. "You'd like to think that bodes well as far as our playoff run." Harden, 36, has taken several young players with him in film sessions to break down things he sees. "That's part of his personality," Atkinson said. "James is a teacher. He always has a slant and an idea on how we can do things better. He's very bold and extroverted. It's a huge help." The Cavs coach was well aware of Harden's game before he arrived in Cleveland. Now that he's seen him up close and personal, he's amazed at his passing ability. He also said Harden might have taken one bad shot since joining the team. "Most top-10 scorers take bad shots," Atkinson said. "He doesn't take bad shots. That's extremely rare. His shot selection has been pretty much impeccable." Contact Bob Finnan at rfinnan30@gmail.com. Follow him @BobCavsinsider on X.