Gilbert Arenas labels James Harden as the missing piece to send the Cavs to the 2026 NBA Finals

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Gilbert Arenas labels James Harden as the missing piece to send the Cavs to the 2026 NBA Finals

Yakshpat Bhargava · Basketball Network

Wed, Feb 4, 2026 ·

3 min read

Arenas thinks the Cavs will be unstoppable with Harden

At 37 years old, Harden isn't just reminding fans of how his Houston Rockets self but almost single-handedly had changed the trajectory of a depleted LA Clippers team from 6-21 to 23-26, all while averaging 25.4 points and 8.1 assists per game.

That is why Gil believes that if James maintains this current form, he would undoubtedly be a significant backcourt upgrade over Darius Garland in Cleveland.

Not only will Harden's pass-first mentality and mastery in pick-and-roll unlock a new offensive ceiling for big men like Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen , but his ability to constantly make plays for 3-and-D shooters will also allow the likes of role players like Dean Wade and Jaylon Tyson to showcase their shooting prowess from behind the arc.

On the other hand, while some critics might argue that Harden's ball-dominant style of play could hamper Mitchell's flow, who is leading the team with 28.8 points per game, Gil surely disagrees.

Given how Donovan has never had such an experienced and versatile backcourt partner, Arenas believes Harden's presence will only encourage "Spider" to be more aggressive on the offensive end, as in case of any lapses, Harden has enough acumen and experience to elevate the team's overall game so that the pressure never falls squarely on Mitchell's shoulders to win games.

As a result, Gil proclaimed the Cavaliers to emerge as an undisputed force in the East, as now they have a player in Harden who could not only take over but also give the team several other options to win games.

"They could be in the Finals. You have Donovan Mitchell that is a leading scorer. They have a great balance attack, now you add James Harden who defers to a star and if he starts playing bad we know he can turn it up and do what he does, " Arenas said on his show. "So you got a guy that can do both any moment in time. I really believe if he goes to Cleveland, they could be the favorite to make it out of the East."

The Cavs need not rely on Mitchell alone

While it is true that the Cavs play at an incredibly high pace (ranking among the top seven in the league) and James could slow things down slightly, the tradeoff may be worth it.

Despite being a top 10 offensive team this season, Cleveland ranks among the bottom 10 in free-throw attempts and sits in the lower half of the league in three-point shooting.

This is where Harden's ability to manipulate foul calls every time he draws contact and create quality perimeter looks would directly address both weaknesses, significantly raising Cleveland's offensive ceiling.

Be it dishing out 15 assists in a contest or dropping 40 points to make the team win games, Harden has shown how he has the capability of doing both. And now, especially with elite perimeter defenders like Keon Ellis also joining the team, who knows, Harden could be the ultimate "x-factor" that this team requires to fulfill their title aspirations.

This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Feb 4, 2026, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.