Cleveland Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell is NOT holding back on James Harden’s critics, straight up calling the championship-or-bust narratives surrounding his teammate “BS” as the 2026-27 NBA season kicks off. Mitchell told reporters that the only reason Harden isn’t in that top-tier conversation is because of the lack of a championship ring, saying he’s seen a whole different side of Harden since becoming his teammate.
Mitchell’s Defense: What Being a Teammate Really Shows You
You gotta hear Mitchell on this. He’s been around Harden, but being a teammate? That changes everything for him. “When you’re his teammate I think it brings it to a whole different level,” Mitchell said. He’s talking about seeing Harden in camp, checking his influence on the squad, hearing his conversations, feeling that raw passion for winning, and the intention to be the best. For Mitchell, all of that daily exposure just makes “how BS a lot of the narratives are” super clear. He basically says you can’t truly get it until you’re seeing it every single day.
And let’s be real, Harden’s résumé is absolutely stacked. We’re talking 11 All-Star nods, eight All-NBA selections, three scoring titles, and an MVP award. The dude is No. 9 on the NBA’s all-time scoring list and sits at No. 12 for all-time assists. Those numbers are insane, putting him in incredibly elite company. So, you can see why Mitchell is fired up defending his guy.
The Playoff Paradox: Where the Stats Get Tricky
Here’s the rub, though, and it’s the part of the story that makes the conversation around Harden so complicated. The championship has somehow eluded him across his 17 seasons. He was a sixth man for the OKC Thunder when they lost the NBA Finals in 2012 to that absolutely loaded Miami Heat squad with LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh. Then, with the Houston Rockets in the late 2010s, his teams ran into the Golden State Warriors dynasty with Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green. Tough breaks, for sure.
But then you look at the numbers for his playoff production, and things take a turn. While his career regular season average sits at a dominant 24.0 points per game on 43.9 percent from the field, 36.4 percent from deep, and 86.3 percent from the line, that postseason efficiency dips. In the playoffs, his scoring drops to 22.2 points nightly, with his field goal percentage at 42.4 percent and three-point shooting at 33.7 percent. Even more telling, over his last five playoff runs, he’s averaged just 19.4 points per game on 41.3 percent shooting. Mitchell sees the passion, but those playoff stats? They’re hard to ignore.
What’s Next for Harden and the Cavs?
So, here we are, gearing up for the 2026-27 campaign. Harden is locked in with Mitchell and the Cavs, trying to build on their run to the Eastern Conference Finals last season. The goal is clear: keep being a real threat in the East. Can Harden help Mitchell and the team take that next step and finally silence the championship critics? Mitchell’s betting on him, and you know everyone will be watching to see if Harden can make good on that belief and change the narrative for good.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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