It’s not been a perfect season for the Cleveland Cavaliers by any means. After finishing #1 in the East without much resistance last season, they faced many hiccups in 2025-26, which saw them struggle at times, to win games. Donovan Mitchell, the man leading the Cavs was under pressure, but thankfully, the front office responded.
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The Cavs got James Harden to The Land in February before the trade deadline, and in many ways, that saved their season. Many had written them off from contention before Harden came, but now, they’re well and truly in the mix again.
This also begs the question, that the Cavaliers do a lot to make sure their Mitchell project doesn’t fail. When LeBron James was struggling to get the better of the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals in the mid 2010s, where was this urgency to get the King some help? So, as far as Kendrick Perkins, a former Cavalier, is concerned, Mitchell simply has to deliver now.
“There’s no other player that’s under the amount of pressure that Donovan Mitchell is to get it done. Bare minimum Conference Finals. I repeat, the Cleveland Cavaliers, in my opinion, has done more for Donovan Mitchell than they did for LeBron James when it comes to being aggressive and adding pieces around him,” Perkins stated.
Cleveland has gone from a dark horse to a team many believe has what it takes to win the Eastern Conference Finals. At least, that’s what Perkins thinks.
Now, while this could be viewed as another wild Perkins take, there could also be some truth to it. The Cavs disappointed in last year’s playoffs, losing to the Indiana Pacers after being dominant in the East during the regular season. Harden being there could be the exclamation point they’ve been missing. At least, that’s the hope for Cleveland.
“The Cleveland Cavaliers have done more for Donovan Mitchell, than they did for LeBron James”
– Kendrick Perkins pic.twitter.com/RlJzWYd3sG
— NBA Courtside (@NBA__Courtside) March 11, 2026
The other side of that is Harden‘s unfortunate playoff history. He has played in the Finals before, but when the lights shine the brightest, the Beard has often disappeared. Poor Game 7 performances and stretches where he hasn’t been the leader his team needed.
Now he’s on a new squad with no previous history. The fans in Cleveland, along with Spider, are happy to have him for now. But if the Cavs see another early exit, especially in the second round, it will not only reinforce the already established narrative around Harden. It will also drag Mitchell down with him and prove Big Perk right.
