Cavaliers: New guy James Harden will have to adapt to Evan Mobley when the power forward returns from injury

CLEVELAND — No one is questioning James Harden's reputation for getting the most out of his big men. He meshed perfectly with center Jarrett Allen in their first two games together. His real challenge might be when power forward Evan Mobley returns from his calf injury after the All-Star break. Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson said Harden's former teams usually surrounded him with four shooters. He said he doesn't want to overload the veteran point guard with what-ifs right now, but he's confident he'll get the most out of both bigs. "But we're definitely talking about it as a staff," the coach said. Atkinson, though, said Harden will likely thrive in any situation. Allen's prowess The 6-foot-11, 248-pound Allen is averaging 25.3 points, 12.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.25 blocks and 1.00 steals in his previous four games (prior to Wednesday's game against Washington). He's also shooting a sizzling .712 from the field (42-for-59) over the span. Allen's field-goal percentage has dipped this season after leading the league last year by shooting .706 from the field. However, he ranks fourth in the Eastern Conference at .615 this season (240-for-390). Allen is making his move with Mobley sidelined with a left calf strain. He's missed 12 games with the injury, including the last seven. The Cavs center recorded his 13th double-double of the season and fourth in a row with 22 points and 13 rebounds in Cleveland's 119-117 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Monday. He converted 10 for 16 from the field. It was also his sixth game of the season with at least 20 points and 10 rebounds. Cleveland is 11-2 this season when Allen records a double-double and 23-7 when he scores in double figures. Sharpshooters The Cavs now have four elite 3-point shooters in Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Sam Merrill and Jaylon Tyson. Tyson is second in the NBA 3-point accuracy at .477 (104-for-218), fourth highest in a season in Cavs history. Merrill is right on his heels and is sixth in the league at .452 (100-for-221). He has now had three consecutive seasons with at least 100 3-point goals. Merrill is one of 12 active NBA players with at least 1,000 3-pointers and is shooting .400 or better in their careers. Tomlin deal set The conversion of forward Nae'Qwan Tomlin's two-way contract into a standard deal is official. He signed a guaranteed two-year, $3 million contract. "Nae'Qwan Tomlin's basketball journey has been remarkable, and no one is more deserving of this opportunity," Cleveland president of basketball operations Koby Altman said in a statement. "Rising from not playing high school basketball to logging meaningful NBA minutes is a testament to his work ethic. He has earned the conversion of his two-way contract, which speaks directly to the impact he has made on the team with his all-out hustle and resilience." Bob Finnan can be reached at rfinnan30@gmail.com. Follow him @BobCavsinsider on X.