Former NBA Center Takes Shot at Cavaliers' James Harden
· Yahoo Sports
The Cleveland Cavaliers traded for star guard James Harden at the deadline last season, hoping that he would be the missing piece in the quest to win a title,
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While the Cavaliers didn't win the NBA title, they did reach the Eastern Conference Finals. Having Harden on the roster gives Cleveland another star next to guard Donovan Mitchell, taking some of the offensive pressure off him.
Harden did help with this, but his struggles in the playoffs were magnified again. Despite this, the Cavaliers decided to give Harden an extension, keeping him in town for the next few years.
The two sides came to terms on a new three-year, $97 million contract extension. While the Cavaliers were praised by many for this deal, there were some who don't understand the choice from the team.
Former NBA center Olden Polynice is one of those people, calling out the Cavaliers for the new deal around Harden. Polynice played in the league between 1987 and 2001, suiting up for multiple teams along the way.
Polynice isn't a fan of the Cavaliers' star, saying that his deal is "dead money". The former big man called out the ongoing postseason struggles from Harden in his rant.
“This man has struggled since the early parts of his career in the playoffs. That’s his MO: he will always struggle in the playoffs, and you just gave him $97 million for three years knowing his history. And to me, that’s a bad move. Again, I’m not knocking you for getting your money. But that’s a bad organizational move on the Cleveland Cavaliers. It’s a horrible move from that standpoint,” Polynice said.
In 19 postseason games for the Cavaliers this year, Harden averaged 19.2 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 5.5 assists. But in the conference finals against the New York Knicks, his numbers dropped to 16.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game.
This has been a trend for Harden throughout his career. Harden has disappeared when the lights are the brightest, and it's been a problem for years.
While Harden is still a good player, even at his age, his trend in the playoffs is concerning. But the Cavaliers seem to believe that he can help them win games this coming season.
And for their sake, Harden needs to show up when it matters most. Cleveland is going for a title this coming season, and they will need the 11-time All-Star to play up to par.