James Harden enters his first full season with the Cavs, and the expectations are pretty high.

It’s where they should be, truly, as his thumb is all healed and he’s secured a three-year contract. Having bounced around a bit in his older years, the hope will be that he can finish his career ‘in the place he calls home.

The Beard is in charge of unlocking this offense, and his ability to know when to pass/score, and make the right reads could really take this team right to the next level.

There are three things Harden can do next season for this team to be a real contender. Let’s discuss.

Be An Optimal Floor General

While his thumb did in fact play some part in it, James Harden had an atrocious assist-to-turnover ratio in the postseason last year. He averaged 5.5 assists per contest along with 4.7 turnovers. It’s a historically-bad number and something that has to drop.

He averaged nearly eight helpers per game with just over three giveaways in 26 regular season games post-trade to Cleveland, so something far closer to that would be far better for this team. Considering all of the weapons he has around him in the form of Donovan Mitchell, Peyton Watson, Sam Merrill, Jaylon Tyson, and elite big men like Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, it shouldn’t be too hard.

Double-teaming Harden will be seemingly impossible for any defense that wants to succeed, so in single coverage, he’ll know who to sling it to.

Be The 1B Closer

This is Donovan Mitchell’s team, and not a single player on the team would disagree with this statement. He’s the one that scored 70 in a game, has delivered time-and-again, and is one of the best in the league with the ball in his hands. With that said, they need a 1B to help him here.

Sometimes, James Harden has to be the big-shot taker. Against the Pistons in Game 3, with the season pretty much on the line, he went to work. He has a track record of being clutch, so when Mitchell either doesn’t have it or they want another look, here’s the guy. 

Harden doesn’t have to be the guy he was with the Rockets. Nor with the Nets, Sixers, or Clippers. The Cavs version suits just fine. He shows up, and knows when he has to step up to the plate at the moment. 

If he can’t handle this kind of role, it would greatly hurt the team’s chances.

Buys Into The Program

James Harden, so far, has said and done all the right things in Cleveland. He’s been spotted with teammates at sporting events around the city. He helped recruit Peyton Watson to the team. He waited to sign his contract until after everything else was set so that they could improve the roster from last season.

But James Harden in the past has acted similarly in his new homes. In Houston, he seemed to be struggling to maintain the playing weight he previously had prior to being dealt. It only took parts of two seasons with the Nets before a move was made. With the Sixers, after his second playoff-run, he said he would never play for Daryl Morey again.

Now, things seemed to be going well with the Clippers in 2025-26. He was sent to the Cavs of course at the deadline, but he had been the No. 1 option in LA with Kawhi Leonard on the shelf. And from the time he debuted against the Kings and Travis Scott came to celebrate with him, things have continued looking up.

He is a huge locker room positive, especially after seventeen seasons in the league. As long as he’s as focused on the task at hand as he says to be, things should run smoothly. And this is a player that can genuinely, at his best, win games for you by himself.

Considering he’s with perennial All-NBA guard Donovan Mitchell, 2025 DPOY Evan Mobley, and so many other budding talents, it could be a perfect scenario. No distractions, and no negative public discourse. He can fix his reputation while also being good enough to help the Cavs compete for the championship.

This is the last chance for James Harden. Here’s hoping he can make it count.