James Harden Explains How Cleveland Cavaliers Have Bonded Seamlessly After Trade

James Harden joined the Cavaliers just a week ago at this point, but his impact for Cleveland has already shown instant success. Cleveland has now won back-to-back games versus the Kings and Nuggets, led by Harden and Donovan Mitchell.

In his first two games with Cleveland, it seems Harden has been a match for Cleveland’s lineup. He is averaging 22.5 points per game on 48% shooting, along with three and a half threes per game on 46.7% shooting. His passing is also still top-notch, picking up seven and eight assists in those two games.

Harden talked with Serena Winters after the thrilling Nuggets win.

“Found a way to get it done. It’s our second game. No practices, a couple film sessions, not the way it’s supposed to happen. A lot of unselfish guys.”

Harden also extremely praised Mitchell, who was a driving force behind getting him to Cleveland.

What Harden said about Donovan Mitchell

“Donovan just gave me the ball multiple times down the stretch & trusted me to make a play. A great group of guys. He can go out there & average 35 points a game, but the willingness to pass & be unselfish. It’s a testament to who he is & what type of basketball player he is.”

Mitchell has been amazing, starting alongside Harden, scoring 30+ points in those two games, and dishing out 10 assists in the win in Denver. The luxury of having two playmakers on the court in crunch time is paying off, with the ability to stagger each star’s minutes also. Harden also touched on how it has been playing with Jarrett Allen.

“Unbelievable job. Rollin, finishing around the rim. Fighting Jokic down on the other end of the floor. Anything we ask him to do, he’s done it. I’m happy to be a part of this group.”

Allen has also had two great games in the past two, with 20+ points in those wins, along with back-to-back double-doubles. Two of his points came from Harden's racing to grab a steal, then running the floor to find an also hustling Allen, who threw the hammer down in the fourth quarter.

The only bad thing about Harden’s first two games is that they were on the road, at Sacramento and at Denver. Harden did send a message to the Cleveland fans eagerly awaiting his home debut.

“It’s go time.”

The Cavaliers will host the Washington Wizards on Wednesday night at 7:00 p.m. ET, aiming for their fifth straight win and tenth in the last eleven.