James Harden: ‘I’ll figure it out’ as Cavs’ system elevates him

James Harden once declared, “I’m not a system player. I am a system.”

With the Cavaliers, he’s something else.

As The Ringer’s Michael Pina detailed, Harden’s early impact with the Cavs isn’t about heliocentric dominance. It’s about adaptation.

“I told them I’ll figure it out,” Harden said after a recent win. “We’ll do some adjusting with each other but for the most part, y’all do what y’all been doing and I’ll find my way in.”

He added: “I understand this team and the dynamic of it and how many offensive weapons we have. I am top-10 in scoring all-time. Scoring is not a problem for me. I want to play the right way.”

Through his first stretch with the Cavs — including 22 points, eight assists and nine rebounds while playing through a fractured thumb Sunday — the results have followed. The Cavs have won seven of eight games in which he’s appeared. His true shooting percentage sits at 67.3.

Coach Kenny Atkinson sees a veteran reading the room.

“The great ones read the game,” Atkinson said. “Score 30, I’ll score 30. If it means I gotta get 20 assists and take four shots, I can do that.”

The contrast to Harden’s Houston days is stark. The Cavs (38-24) generate nearly 29 percent of their shots off movement, among the league’s highest marks. Isolation volume is down. Usage is down. Efficiency is up.

“(Against Denver), last couple minutes of the game he just gave me the ball and let me facilitate and do what I do,” Harden said of Donovan Mitchell. “You don’t really get that from superstars in this league.”

In limited minutes together, Cleveland’s offense has surged well above league average. The system hums. Harden enhances it.

“We got a few more notches to get to,” Harden said. “I think we can get there. Matter of fact, I know we can get there.”

The evolution is real. And perhaps so is the Cavs’ ceiling.