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"He has a track record" - J.R. Smith doubts James Harden will deliver for Cavs in the playoffs
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- "He has a track record" - J.R. Smith doubts James Harden will deliver for Cavs in the playoffs
It has been exactly a month since the February 5 NBA trade deadline, and we have come to the part of the season where it becomes clearer which teams truly hit the jackpot and which ones will try to build their future through the Draft process. One of the teams that definitely took a swing, hoping it would push them over the top, was the Cleveland Cavaliers .
By bringing in 36-year-old James Harden in exchange for the 10-year-younger Darius Garland , it became clear that the franchise's win-now window had officially arrived.
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However, even though the first couple of games from "The Beard" in the new jersey have been solid enough, J.R. Smith says that the real test will come once the playoffs arrive because Harden has a long history of, well, significantly dipping during that time of the calendar, no matter how good his regular-season numbers may look.
"I honestly wasn't a fan of the trade when it first happened. It looks good now, I need to see this, which we've never seen him, in the playoffs deliver. So, respectfully, I need to see it then," the retired high-flyer said in the recent episode of "To The Baha" podcast.
Smith still is not fully on board with the move
J.R. indeed knows a thing or two about winning it all, considering he is a two-time champion, and what he has seen from Harden throughout the years still hasn't fully convinced him. Since his days as the best guy coming off the bench for the Oklahoma City Thunder , to his MVP years with the Houston Rockets , and later attempts at forming superteams in Brooklyn , Philadelphia , and Los Angeles , one thing has always remained the same.
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No championship ring.
Now, with his sixth franchise in the league, "The Beard" will definitely have a chip on his shoulder to finally flip that narrative. Cleveland believes that pairing his experience and playmaking with Donovan Mitchell 's scoring punch could be the formula that finally pushes them deep into the postseason. But Smith wants to see proof before he calls the trade a success.
"I promise I knew all of this was gonna happen. After every trade he's gone, he starts hooping, he do all of this and when it comes to the bright lights… James is my guy, I love him to death, but he has a track record… I'll see you then!" Swish added.
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Related: Tim Hardaway Sr. says Michael Jordan would get "cooked" in a 1-on-1 All-Star tournament
Harden needs to step up when it matters the most
Through his first handful of games in Cleveland, Harden's production has taken a slight dip compared to his peak years, but he is still contributing across the board. In nine appearances for the Cavaliers, the left-handed guard is averaging 19.1 points, 7.9 assists, and 5.1 rebounds.
What might raise some concern is the fact that Harden is currently dealing with a fractured thumb, although he has made it clear that he intends to play through the injury for the remainder of the season.
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The bigger question, however, remains what happens once the postseason begins.
Cleveland certainly has the talent to make serious noise in the Eastern Conference. With Mitchell serving as the main man on offense, Harden's job will be to keep making the right reads, step up when the moment demands it and embrace the bright lights.
Only then will the trade truly make sense. And J.R. will definitely be watching.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Mar 5, 2026, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
