Iman Shumpert: Cavs’ James Harden must let Donovan Mitchell handle the pressure

Iman Shumpert has a suggestion for the Cavaliers when opposing defenses turn up the heat. Put the ball in Donovan Mitchell’s hands and let him go.

Shumpert, a member of the Cavs’ 2016 championship team, offered that assessment on ESPN’s NBA Today following Cleveland’s season-opening collapse against the Sixers. His message to James Harden was fairly direct.

“If James Harden wants to make this better, there’s gonna have to be times Donovan Mitchell is gonna have to take the reins and play the point, not because his handle is better, he’s just younger and more willing to go sometimes with pressure,” Shumpert said.

“You cannot fight pressure with X’s and O’s. It can’t be that. It got to be, you’re too far up on me one or two moves. I’m going past you straight line drive. Whoever’s in the lane is getting dunked on. If James Harden can’t do that, he’s got to give up the ball.”

The Cavs blew a 29-point lead, prompting Mitchell to say they need to look inward. One game into the season, they already have a fairly unpleasant example of what happens when a comfortable lead stops being comfortable.

Shumpert’s proposed answer is to attack sooner and make the defense retreat. Harden can organize an offense, but the Cavs also have Mitchell for the possessions that require someone to beat his man and get to the rim.

They shouldn’t need to wait until a big lead disappears to turn to him.