The Cleveland Cavaliers are in an 0-2 hole in their second-round series against the Detroit Pistons, and Cavs guard James Harden has fallen under intense scrutiny for his recent poor stretch of play.
His struggles have sparked some tough conversations around the basketball world, and former Cavs big man Kendrick Perkins has now added another interesting layer to the chatter by suggesting that at a certain point, Harden’s role needs to be relegated.
"I never expected James Harden to turnover the damn basketball at the rate he is..
He's been a liability out there..
I'm not letting Evan Mobley off the hook either..
He's been unacceptable in this series"@KendrickPerkins #PMSLive https://t.co/GBthZjZQut pic.twitter.com/510vbzUtsM
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) May 8, 2026
“He’s been more of a liability than he is a help,” Perkins said. “And at some point, Kenny Atkinson has to make that decision and say — I’m not saying bench him — I’m saying, hey, man, he need to be playing limited minutes off the bench as a role guy, as a bench player, not starter’s minutes.”
In two games against Detroit, Harden has shot just 32.1 percent from the field and missed virtually all of his 3-point tries (1-for-11). He has also turned the ball over at a high rate, averaging 5.5 giveaways per game. Those deficiencies have been too much to make his 16.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game mean much in the series.
To make matters worse, his health may now be a question mark as the series continues.
James Harden looked possibly injured after Game 2, per @ChrisFedor 😬
“He was having an extended conversation with one of the Cavs trainers…and he kept his left hand in his jacket pocket so that nobody could see it.
"… It sounded like there was an ice bag on his left hand.” pic.twitter.com/AMafEtqaTY
— Cavaliers Nation (@WeAreCavsNation) May 8, 2026
Harden’s struggles didn’t necessarily start in the second round. After making a solid impact in the first five games of Cleveland’s opening series against the Toronto Raptors, Harden struggled to be efficient in Games 6 and 7. Overall, in his last four playoff games, he’s shooting a mere 33.3 percent from the field and 15.0 percent from deep.
The Cavs acquired Harden to raise their playoff ceiling, but right now, he is one of the reasons they’re two games away from being eliminated. Cleveland’s list of problems certainly extends beyond the play of the 11-time All-Star, but if he isn’t able to turn things up a notch very soon, Atkinson may need to take Perkins’ advice and reduce Harden’s role for the time being.
The squad will be back in action on Saturday for Game 3 at home, a matchup it essentially needs to win in order to keep its hopes alive. No team in NBA history has won a series after falling into an 0-3 hole. If the Cavs can get on the board in Game 3, they’ll have a chance to even the series in Game 4 on Monday.
