CLEVELAND — Without the benefit of knowing the Cavaliers would win the first two games of their James Harden era, former longtime NBA executive David Griffin offered nothing but praise for the decision Cleveland’s brass made to acquire the 11-time All-Star guard ahead of last week’s trade deadline.
Griffin spoke to the Beacon Journal on the night of Feb. 5 during the Greater Cleveland Sports Awards at Rocket Arena and discussed the Cavs trading point guard Darius Garland and a second-round draft pick to the Los Angeles Clippers for Harden on Feb. 3.
Since then, the Cavs have defeated the Sacramento Kings 132-126 and Denver Nuggets 119-117 on the road with Harden making clutch 3-pointers in each game and finishing with 23 and 22 points, respectively.
After going 4-1 in five consecutive away games, the surging Cavs (33-21) will face the Washington Wizards (14-38) at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 11, in Cleveland. Harden and fellow recent trade acquisitions Dennis Schroder and Keon Ellis are set for their home debuts as Cavs players.
“I think it speaks to what this organization’s been from the time I was here,” said Griffin, who was Cleveland’s general manager when the Cavs won the NBA championship in 2016. “Nothing clarifies like clarity. We’re here to win titles, and [owner] Dan [Gilbert] is willing to do whatever it takes to do that.
“I think what [president of basketball operations] Koby [Altman] and his team just achieved at deadline has never been done before. I don’t think a team’s ever gotten appreciably better and closer to a championship while also getting less expensive. That combination of things doesn’t ever happen, so the greatness of what they orchestrated is hard to overstate.
“But Dan Gilbert cares about this as much or more than any fan here, and he’s willing to do whatever it takes. When you see them do what they do with a player that means the world to Koby — he loves Darius — and with a player who meant a lot to the team and to the locker room to recognize nothing clarifies like clarity, we’re here for titles and are we or are we not closer to a championship, that’s special, and that makes doing your job a whole lot easier.”
Garland, 26, is a two-time All-Star who’s capable of being an electrifying playmaker on offense. However, he is small by NBA standards (6 feet, 1 inch), and opponents target him on defense whenever they can. He also has an extensive injury history. He underwent surgery on his left big toe on June 9 and suffered a sprained right big toe on Jan. 14. He hasn’t played since then.
Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank spoke to LA media on Feb. 9 and explained Garland’s right toe has healed, but his surgically repaired left toe remains sore.
“We are going to manage this correctly, OK?” Frank said, according to The Athletic. “We are not gonna skip any steps. Because we think the short-term investment will lead to long-term rewards. … We’re gonna get it right and take as long as it takes. But we’re very confident that by taking the time now, it’s gonna give him a long runway. He’s only 26, and we want to see him playing at a high level for a long time.”
The Cavs obviously knew the details of Garland’s medical situation and concluded they needed to upgrade by swapping him for a bigger, more durable point guard. Harden, 36, checks those boxes and appeals to the Cavs as a new running mate for All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell, even though Harden is 10 years older than Garland.
The sample size is too small to draw definitive conclusions, and the postseason will be the real test, yet the 6-5 Harden and the 6-3 Mitchell have shown early signs of impressive chemistry. Mitchell has scored 35 and 32 points in his two games with Harden.
“They’re both super bright basketball players,” said Griffin, who was the executive vice president of basketball operations for the New Orleans Pelicans from 2019-25. “Kyrie [Irving] and LeBron [James] were both super ball dominant. We watched them win. And Kevin Love, at one time, was really ball dominant.
“Highly motivated talent pulling in the right direction at the right time wins. Whether their skill sets allow them to do more or less, if they’re willing to sacrifice those things, they win. And what you have now is a team that’s capable of more, but they’re going to know the role they need to play.”
Mitchell, 29, has been to the playoffs in all eight of his completed NBA seasons, though he has never advanced beyond the second round.
The NBA’s Most Valuable Player in the 2017-18 season with the Houston Rockets, Harden has been to the playoffs in all 16 of his completed seasons in the league. But the three-time scoring champ (2018-20) has been to the NBA Finals just once (2012 with OKC) and is still seeking his first title. Underachieving during pivotal playoff games in recent years has dogged him.
“He had to be the No. 1 option [at times] and carry the burden all the way through,” Griffin said. “Well, now he doesn’t need to do that. And Donovan doesn’t need to carry that same burden, either. So, there’s going to be nights in the playoffs where they get to play off of each other and give each other a little bit of a break. And they’re both going to have more in the tank because of the greatness of the other one. It’s a potentially beautiful pairing.”
The Cavs, of course, need to turn potential into reality to achieve their ultimate goal.
Nate Ulrich is the sports columnist of the Akron Beacon Journal and a sports features writer. Nate can be reached at [email protected]. On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich.
