The Cavaliers hoped that they would take a natural leap this season after making the jump from the second round of the playoffs to the Eastern Conference Finals last season.
It’s only November, but the deck appears to be stacked against them.
Cleveland opened the season with a historic collapse against the 76ers and has struggled to recover, limping to a 5-6 start. Some have assigned the blame to coach Kenny Atkinson, but one stat shows James Harden might be the biggest culprit.
Here’s a look at how different the Cavaliers have looked when Harden is on the floor.
One stat that shows how bad Cavs have been with James Harden
Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor pointed out that the Cavaliers have been markedly worse with Harden on the court, to the point that every player’s net rating is lower when he’s in the game.
As a team, the numbers are undeniable: Cleveland has a -5.6 net rating with Harden on the floor and a +15.7 net rating without him. The Cavaliers’ offensive rating jumps from 108.6 without Harden to 123.5 with Harden, and he ranks 389th in the NBA in plus-minus out of 462 players.
Not only is Harden shooting 36.4 percent from the field, Fedor points out, but he’s shooting just 36 percent near the rim.
Statistically, EVERY player in the Cavaliers’ rotation has been worse with James Harden on the floor, per @ChrisFedor Through his first 11 games: • Cavs have a -5.6 net rating with Harden on the floor compared to +15.7 without him. • Cleveland has a 108.6 offensive rating with Harden compared to 123.5 without him. • Harden is shooting a career-low 36.4% from the field. • Shooting just 36% at the rim, ranking last among nearly 130 qualified players. • Ranks 389th out of 462 players in overall plus-minus. • Has posted a negative net rating in 7 of his first 11 games. • Shooting just 8-of-22 on floaters and 16-of-47 on shots in the paint and restricted area.
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) November 11, 2026
The Cavaliers’ trip to the conference finals in the spring, while ending in disappointment, was seen as an impressive step because the team had just acquired Harden a few months earlier. Cleveland hoped a full season for Harden to settle in would naturally make the team better. So far, it’s been the opposite effect.
With Harden signing a new contract this summer and now being in his late 30s, it might be tough for the Cavaliers to find a way out of their current situation.
