Draymond Green Points to Pistons’ Length and Youth as Factors in Harden’s Slow Start
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Cleveland, OH — As the Cleveland Cavaliers prepare for Game 3 against the Detroit Pistons, Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green pushed back on mounting criticism of James Harden’s playoff performance, arguing the matchup itself is the main culprit.
Speaking on his podcast this week, Green noted Detroit’s combination of size and athleticism is giving the veteran guard little room to operate. “Those guys are much younger than him,” Green said. “Some of James’ struggles is due to that.”
Pistons Throwing Size at Harden
Through the first two games, Detroit has rotated several long defenders at Harden — 6-foot-7 Cade Cunningham, 6-foot-7 Ausar Thompson, 6-foot-8 Tobias Harris and 6-foot-7 Duncan Robinson, with 7-foot Jalen Duren protecting the rim. The constant length has limited Harden to 9-for-28 shooting overall and just 1-for-11 from three-point range. He has also committed 11 turnovers.
Game 2 underscored the struggle: Harden finished 3-for-13 from the field, posted a minus-15 plus/minus rating and the Cavaliers fell behind 0-2 in the best-of-seven series.
Context Over Career Narrative, Green Says
Green cautioned observers against linking Harden’s current slump to previous postseason exits. “Tie it into everything and try to discredit who he is as a player — some series are just much tougher than others,” he said.
While Green offered context, the Cavaliers face urgency. Game 3 tips off Saturday at 3 p.m. ET at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse and will be televised on NBC/Peacock. Cleveland must win to avoid a 0-3 deficit and will likely need an uptick from Harden — and the rest of the roster — to shift the series momentum.
Source: Hoops Wire
