Generational athletes Lamar Jackson and James Harden have both achieved the pinnacle of individual success, winning MVPs for their respective leagues.
Despite being surefire future Hall of Famers, Harden and Jackson have notably struggled in the postseason.
When evaluating the Cleveland Cavaliers‘ championship odds this season on Night Cap with Shannon Sharpe, Johnson called Harden the NBA’s version of the Baltimore Ravens‘ superstar quarterback.
“They scrutinize you too, especially James, because they understand the situations he’s been in the past in the postseason. So they’re gonna watch every time he gets in the postseason, bro,” Johnson said around the 6:00 mark.
“It’s kind of like when you look at Lamar Jackson, it’s like, damn, we know he’s going to be great during the regular season. But hell, in the postseason, can he win us some games? Can we get to the Super Bowl? It’s similar to that.”
Against the Toronto Raptors, Harden has recorded consecutive games with more turnovers than field goals. For his career, Harden has 44 such games in the playoffs.
Cleveland Needs Harden to Be a Star
GettyJames Harden had 15 turnovers in two playoff losses to the Toronto Raptors
For Cleveland to make it out of the Eastern Conference, Harden will have to perform better. The team doesn’t need him to be Superman, and he doesn’t even have to be the leading scorer, with Donovan Mitchell carrying that mantle.
However, the Cavaliers can’t afford for Harden to continue piling up turnovers. The former scoring champion has coughed up the ball 15 times during the Toronto road trip.
For a player of his caliber, finishing with more turnovers than field goals is a puzzling outcome.
During the regular season, Harden was extremely efficient after his midseason trade to Cleveland.
Harden, 36, averaged 20.5 points and 7.7 assists in 26 games. He shot 43 percent from deep and converted nearly half of his overall shot attempts. This season, Harden recorded the sixth-most games with 20+ points and 8+ assists.
With the series even headed back to Cleveland, the team will need Harden to regain his regular-season form soon.
Can Harden Reverse Playoff Reputation?
GettyJames Harden averaged 20 PPG during the regular season with Cleveland
Harden is one of the most skilled players to pick up a basketball.
His isolation scoring ranks among the best in NBA history.
With that said, Harden has also become known for his underwhelming playoff performances. Harden has shrunk in multiple high-stakes situations, beginning with his lackluster performance in the 2012 NBA Finals.
In 2023, Harden suited up for the Sixers in a seven-game series against the Boston Celtics. When the matchup reached the do-or-die stage for both teams, thanks to a Sixers loss at home in Game 6, Harden scored just nine points on 27 percent shooting in 41 minutes.
For the Harden and the Cavaliers, there is still time to turn things around.
Despite the loss in Game 4, the defense looked sharp and held the Raptors below 100 points.
Now, the team looks to capitalize on their home-court advantage in Game 5 at Rocket Arena.
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