For a long time, James Harden has been one of the league’s best players. He often broke records with his numbers in both scoring and playmaking. However, that has not come easy in the 2026-27 NBA season.
Before he had a great game against the New York Knicks on Wednesday, Harden was struggling on 36.4% shooting from the field to only score 15.3 points a night. He brought those numbers up to 16.7 points per game and 39% from the field after the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Knicks.
James Harden was unhealthy heading into the 2026-27 season
Apart from his absurd numbers in his prime, Harden is also known for not having the best conditioning compared to his peers. Someone like Russell Westbrook would always be in shape, so he got off to strong starts during his prime.
Ahead of this season, it has been reported that Harden did not come into training camp in the best shape. Considering that he has been criticized often for not being in good shape, that should have been a red flag for Cleveland.
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According to The Athletic’s Joe Vardon, he noted that Harden was not in the best shape before the season. That is a bad look for both Harden and the Cavaliers because they needed to get off to a strong start to maintain their spot in the Eastern Conference.
“Harden did not come to training camp in good shape. He still is not in good shape. He is using the first part of the season to play his way into shape. At least he acknowledges it,” Vardon said about what happened to Harden before the season.
Moving forward, Harden must hold himself to account. This must be a lesson learned for him and the Cavaliers, as they need to keep succeeding in the Eastern Conference and keep up with the other contenders.
