The Cleveland Cavaliers were expected to take the next step from playoff contenders to true championship threats after acquiring James Harden. However, four games into their first-round series, things are beginning to unravel.
Cleveland suffered a disappointing 93-89 loss to the Toronto Raptors in Game 4 on Sunday, and the frustration was compounded by another underwhelming performance from Harden.
NBA World Believes Cavaliers Guard James Harden Is Struggling Again
The Cavaliers opened the series with back-to-back wins, with Harden scoring a combined 50 points across the first two games. But as the series shifted to Toronto, his form has dipped noticeably.
Over the last two games, Harden is averaging 18.5 points and 3.0 rebounds while shooting 40.7% from the field. He is also shooting just 31.3% from 3-point range, posting a minus-16 plus-minus and committing 15 turnovers across the two contests.
Cleveland has lost both games, and Harden’s struggles, including having more turnovers than field goals made in each outing, have played a significant role.
As a result, criticism of the veteran guard has continued to grow.
“The bad James Harden games are downright destructive. Sure he has 10 points but the 6 turnovers and going early at the end of the half to allow Toronto to have time to get off a 3 at the end of the half is just downright devastating…” wrote NBA analyst Raheem Palmer.
“The #Cavs are frauds….and James Harden shrunk…again. So Shocking. Harden fouling Ingram was a horrible mistake. Then he got away with an off foul and pulled the string on an easy middy. Then he quickly got off the ball and forced Mitchell into missing a circus shot. We’ve seen this movie before and it won’t end well for Harden and the Cavs,” added TV and radio host Rick Kamla.
The #Cavs are frauds….and James Harden shrunk…again. So Shocking. 🙄
Harden fouling Ingram was a horrible mistake. Then he got away with an off foul and pulled the string on an easy middy. Then he quickly got off the ball and forced Mitchell into missing a circus shot.
We’ve…
— Rick Kamla (@RickKamlaSports) April 26, 2026
“In a game where everyone was missing shots badly, Harden not even crossing half on the second last possession. Not even attempting a shot in the final five minutes really sticks out. I just don’t believe he even wants it lol. I don’t, I’m sorry,” NBA writer Josh Eberley posted.
As critics have pointed out, this is not a new narrative.
During the regular season with Cleveland, Harden averaged 20.5 points and just 3.2 turnovers per game. In this series, he is averaging 21.8 points but also 6 turnovers per game, which has significantly hurt Cleveland.
“has any player ever had a wider gap between how scary they are in the regular season versus how scary they are in the playoffs than James Harden?” Shea Serrano wrote.
“When things get tough, you can count on Harden to disappear,” another user posted.
“If there’s any team that can still find a way to blow a playoff game where the opposing star shoots 6-23, it’s one with James Harden and Donovan Mitchell. What a time,” Palmer added in another post.
If there’s any team that can still find a way to blow a playoff game where the opposing star shoots 6-23, it’s one with James Harden and Donovan Mitchell. What a time https://t.co/zPdOblFhAT
— Raheem Palmer (@iamrahstradamus) April 26, 2026
The Cavs acquired Harden at the trade deadline from the LA Clippers, and his postseason inconsistency has been well-documented.
In the 2024 first-round series against the Dallas Mavericks, Harden averaged 26 points through four games before dropping to just 7 in Game 5. He went 0-for-6 from 3-point range in Game 6 as the Clippers were eliminated.
A similar pattern appears to be unfolding in Cleveland. Harden delivered strong performances at home to open the series, but he has struggled in two crucial road games in Toronto.
The series now returns to Rocket Arena for Game 5 on Wednesday, where the Cavaliers will look to regain control.
