The Raptors are preparing to face off against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the NBA playoffs. Cleveland has one of the best one-two punches in the league, with James Harden and Donovan Mitchell leading their offense.
Mitchell will garner much of the attention as the primary ball handler and main scoring threat. However, the Raptors should not discount James Harden when preparing for the series.
The 36-year-old former MVP has taken on a different role since coming to Cleveland via a midseason trade, but he is filling that role to perfection. He is averaging 20.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 7.7 assists, while shooting 46.6% from the field and an eye-popping 43.5% from three since the trade.
With Toronto’s primary defenders tied up guarding Donovan Mitchell, creating a game plan for guarding James Harden becomes even more nuanced.
How does James Harden beat defenses?
Harden is one of the best pick-and-roll ball handlers the game has ever seen. Since being traded to Cleveland, he ranks in the 91.9th percentile in efficiency as a pick-and-roll ball handler. He is also one of the best isolation players in history, ranking in the 89.1st percentile in isolation efficiency this season.
The main difference between Mitchell and Harden is how they create offense. Mitchell is a score-first guard who loves putting up gaudy point totals. At this point in his career, Harden balances between creating for himself and creating for others, reflected in his 20.5 points and 7.7 assists per game.
That balance is what makes Harden so difficult to guard. Do you want to force him to pass, or force him to score? He is, after all, one of two players in league history to have multiple seasons leading the league in scoring and assists.
One blemish on Harden’s career is his playoff resume. In big moments, he has shown a tendency to become passive, deferring instead of hunting his own shot.
That makes Toronto’s priority simple: make Harden overcome that reputation and hunt his own shot instead of creating for others.
How to stop James Harden
At this point in his career, Harden has lost some of the quickness that allowed him to average 33.7 points over three seasons. Instead, he relies on his 6’5”, 220 lbs frame to bully smaller defenders.
Scottie Barnes, Toronto’s best defender, will most likely be tasked with stopping Donovan Mitchell, meaning Toronto’s other perimeter defenders will have to step up.
Brandon Ingram did a good job in pick-and-roll defense this season, and his length could give Harden challenges. The problem is that Ingram was torched in isolation defense.
RJ Barrett is the next obvious choice. He was average in both isolation and pick-and-roll defense, but his 6’6”, 214 lbs frame matches Harden well.
No matter who Toronto puts on Harden, he will find a way into the paint. When that happens, it will be up to Toronto’s bigs, Jakob Poeltl and Collin Murray-Boyles, to stay home. If they overhelp, Harden will find open teammates.
Harden may not be what he once was, but he is still one of the most skilled players in league history. As the second option, he will have opportunities to break down Toronto’s defense.
If Toronto cannot keep Harden in scoring mode and out of his playmaking rhythm, he may end up being just as dangerous as Donovan Mitchell in deciding this series.
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