The Cleveland Cavs have been playing some solid basketball lately, recently clinching home court advantage in the Eastern Conference after a comeback road win over the Memphis Grizzlies. James Harden has adapted well to his new team since the surprising trade deadline move that brought him to Cleveland from the Los Angeles Clippers, and figures to give Cleveland a higher ceiling than they previously had in the playoffs.
Now, Harden’s initial request to the team once he was traded from Los Angeles has been revealed.
“Harden asked the Cavs if they would mind…staging walk-throughs in hotel ballrooms on game days with no shootarounds on the road,” reported Joe Vardon of The Athletic.
It’s certainly not what fans might expect from a player who has generated controversy by getting the Houston Rockets to give him special permission to fly to Las Vegas in between games in the past.
“It’s just preparation, detail, you get ready for the game,” Harden said “Physically you get out and move around, and mentally you have to be prepared. It’s just preparation man, especially going into this run that we are about to go into. I think the focus is making sure we know who we’re playing against and individual guys and what they like to do with their tendencies. Just going to give us an advantage and hopefully we can play better.”
Whatever the methods they’ve been using, things have been working for the Cavs since Harden got to town, as Cleveland recently eclipsed the 50-win threshold on the season, overcoming a rough start to the campaign in the process.
The Cavs will next hit the floor on Wednesday evening at home for the first of a two-game set against the Atlanta Hawks.