The Cleveland Cavaliers were one of the most active teams at the NBA trade deadline this season. The Cavs pulled off one of the biggest blockbuster trades of the deadline when they paired James Harden alongside Donovan Mitchell. The on-court chemistry between the two stars has been strong in the early-goings, and it’s been noticed by Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson, as per Jamal Collier of ESPN.
“They are two guys that are hungry to take that next step,” Atkinson said. “They’ve kind of hit it off. Been seamless, really. Two guys that are so passionate about the game. They’re both hoop junkies.”
“Usually when you have that kind of synergy, it goes well,” Atkinson continued. “With them, I haven’t seen any misunderstandings or ‘You should have went there.’ They’ve been pretty locked in on the court and off the court. Couldn’t have gotten better so far.”
Since joining the Cavs, James Harden has appeared in eight games at a little over 32 minutes per game. The Cavs have gone 7-1 in those games, with their lone loss coming against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Harden had recently missed two games due to a thumb injury. The Cavs lost both those games.
In his return, a 106-102 win against the Brooklyn Nets, he finished with 22 points, nine rebounds and eight assists in 36 minutes. He shot 5-of-9 from the field, 4-of-7 from the 3-point line and 8-of-12 from the free-throw line.
He’s been averaging 19.3 points, 5.1 rebounds and 8.0 assists with splits of 50 percent shooting from the field, 50 percent shooting from the 3-point line and 81 percent shooting from the free-throw line since the trade.