James Harden looks to fill in obvious gap on resume by winning championship with Cavaliers

INDEPENDENCE — James Harden has had fantastic performances in the playoffs. He's also had real stinkers. In his 17th season, he's never won an NBA championship. He's has been an MVP, an eight-time All-NBA selection, an 11-time All-Star, a three-time scoring champ and a member of the NBA's 75th Anniversary team. He acknowledged this week the noticeable void in the impressive resume. "It's true," the 6-foot-5, 220-pounder said. "That's why I'm here. "I've done so many things that 95 percent of the world couldn't even imagine. I'm very, very confident. I'm happy. Life is amazing. I can impact the game in a positive way. Winning a championship is not an easy task. A lot goes into it." Harden believes he would still have a fulfilling career if he never reaches his ultimate goal. "The Beard" is ready for this edition of the playoffs to begin. He'll be the starting point guard for the Cavaliers in their best-of-seven series against the Toronto Raptors that starts Saturday. Harden said he realizes the task ahead of No. 4 seed Cleveland against the fifth-seeded Raptors. "We're prepared," he said. "We know what we're facing. Toronto is a really good team. They really get after it defensively." Harden said the playoffs are like a "spin cycle." "There are a lot of ups and downs," he said. "A lot of things happen during the course of games and series and possessions. You have to prepare for anything." Since he arrived in Cleveland at the trade deadline, the Cavs have done a lot of winning. They are 19-7 with him in the lineup (.731), 21-9 since they made the deal (.700). His individual numbers were peculiar. He averaged 20.5 points with the Cavs, which would have been his lowest scoring average since 16.6 in 2023-24 with the Los Angeles Clippers. Harden averaged 4.8 rebounds, 7.7 assists and 0.8 steals. He shot .466 from the field, his highest since 2020-21, and .435 from the 3-point line, which would be a career high. He shot .840 from the foul line, which would have been his lowest since his rookie year with the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2009-10. He's averaged 8.2 free throw attempts in his career. However, in 26 games with Cleveland, he attempted just 5.8. His full-season stats were more reminiscent of his career. He was 17th in the NBA in scoring at 23.6 and fourth in assists at 8.0 in 70 games. Harden missed two games in late February when he broke his right thumb. When asked if it was challenging playing with the broken thumb, he replied, "Nope." He wouldn't elaborate. The core four of Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen played together a total of 92 minutes during the regular season. "It took me a game or two to figure out where they liked the ball and what to do and what not to do," Harden said. "We'll figure out what works." Harden said he's "ultra confident" and will play with force in the playoffs. Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson disputed the narrative that Harden hasn't won in his career. "I don't think that's true — that it's championship or nothing," he said. "Sure, we'd all like to win a championship. That doesn't mean you're not successful. He's gone far in the playoffs and had an incredible career." The Raptors won all three matchups with Cleveland in the regular season, but Atkinson said the Cavs are a different team. The additions of Harden, Keon Ellis and Dennis Schroder have changed things drastically. Also, former Cavs guard Darius Garland didn't play in any of those three games before being traded to the Clippers. "We're a better team with those additions," Atkinson said. "You'd like to think that bodes well as far as our playoff run." Harden, 36, has taken several young players with him for film sessions to break down things he sees. "That's part of his personality," Atkinson said. "James is a teacher. He always has a slant and an idea on how we can do things better. He's very bold and extroverted. It's a huge help." Atkinson was well aware of Harden's game before he arrived in Cleveland. Now that he's seen him up close and personal on an everyday basis, he's amazed at his passing ability and his shot discipline. "Most top-10 scorers take bad shots," Atkinson said. "He doesn't take bad shots. That's extremely rare. His shot selection has been pretty much impeccable." Bob Finnan can be reached at rfinnan30@gmail.com. Follow him @BobCavsinsider on X.