The Cavaliers’ collapse puts James Harden right back in the hot seat

King James Gospel writer Creshonda Smith argues that James Harden should face scrutiny following the Cleveland Cavaliers' second-half collapse in a 114-106 opening-night loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. Cleveland blew a 24-point halftime lead, scoring only 37 points in the second half. Harden posted 16 points, 5 assists, and 6 turnovers, finishing with a team-worst minus-17 rating across 33 minutes of action on the court.

Smith contends that head coach Kenny Atkinson relied too heavily on the 37-year-old Harden down the stretch instead of running the offense through Donovan Mitchell or Evan Mobley. Mitchell recorded 32 points and 10 rebounds, while Mobley scored 18 points. The column argues that Cleveland must adjust its late-game hierarchy to reflect Harden's current capabilities rather than his past superstar status.