The Cleveland Cavs have been rolling since their trade deadline acquisition of James Harden, recently picking up a resounding home win over the New York Knicks, before falling to the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday with several starters out. Although Harden recently suffered a fractured finger, the injury thankfully doesn’t appear to be anything too severe.
Recently, Cavs big man Jarrett Allen got 100% honest on what it’s been like to play with Harden.
“He’s one of the best guards to play with as a big man. He just came in, made so many looks of mine easy,” said Allen, per SiriusXM NBA on X, formerly Twitter.
Harden has long been known as one of the best playmakers of his generation, forming lethal pick and roll duos with players like Clint Capela throughout his career, and wasting no time in establishing a similar synergy with Allen in Cleveland.
While the thumb injury is certainly a setback, it remains to be seen how effective Harden will be as he attempts to play through the pain.
Of course, the head of the snake in Cleveland remains shooting guard Donovan Mitchell, who is on pace for an All-NBA nod this year, narrowly missing out on a starting bid in the recent All-Star game.
Mitchell and Harden have seemed to play off one another nicely so far, alleviating fans’ concerns about their ability to coexist, considering that both are used to having the ball in their hands for the most part.
Allen himself has picked up his game in recent weeks after a rough start to the season that had some fans wondering whether the team might deal him at the trade deadline.
The Cavs have now reassumed their status as legit contenders in the East after stumbling out of the gates this season. They will next take the floor on Friday evening for a tough matchup against the Detroit Pistons on the road.