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The Cleveland Cavaliers drastically changed their core and their timeline when they traded James Harden for Darius Garland last February.
The move produced instant positive results. The Cavs went from being a lifeless offense that couldn’t generate much offensively with Garland either
sidelined or not 100% due to his toe injury to one that was dynamic from beyond the arc and playing through their bigs inside.
That new and improved offense struggled in the postseason.
It took seven games to get past a young Toronto Raptors team that couldn’t generate much in the half-court. They also needed seven games to get past a good Detroit Pistons team before being run off the court by the eventual champion New York Knicks.
The Cavs had their most postseason success this past postseason thanks in part to Harden. He kept their offense mostly on schedule, stabilized the minutes without Donovan Mitchell, and kept the bigs involved. That said, it wasn’t always smooth sailing. The offense became too iso heavy, he struggled with turnovers, and was picked on defensively.
The Eastern Conference is shaping up to be better next season with the Miami Heat trading for Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Indiana Pacers getting Tyrese Haliburton back, and teams like the Charlotte Hornets and Washington Wizards expected to leap into the playoff conversation. This past postseason run might be the best it gets for this Cavs’ core.
Back in February, we asked the community to grade the trade, and you all gave it an A. With what we know now, does that grade change?
Let us know in the survey and comments below.
