The cake that was five years late was finally eaten by Allen.

Looking at the first five games since Harden came, the clear winner is the Cavaliers' center Jarrett Allen.

Prior to Harden’s arrival, Allen’s averages this season were just 13.9 points and 8.1 rebounds, marking a decline over two straight seasons. In 2022, he was still an All-Star center, but now he has been reduced to an ordinary starting center. With Cavaliers’ guards leaving and others declining in form, this has significantly impacted him.

That’s why Allen has always been linked to trade rumors; with nearly $30 million per year over the next three seasons, he’s considered too expensive for a regular starting center. Before Harden arrived, the Cavaliers’ main salary-cutting target was Allen.

However, after Harden came, Allen’s performance transformed dramatically. In the first game, Allen recorded a big double-double with 29 points and 10 rebounds. Yesterday, he had another 26 points and 14 rebounds. Across these five games, he’s averaging 22.6 points and 11.2 rebounds, shooting 76.3% from the field and a true shooting percentage of 76.8%.

In these five games, Harden has totaled 92 points and 43 assists, many of which have been feeds to Allen for easy baskets. Historically, only twice has a player scored at least 90 points and dished out 40 assists in their first five games with a new team while winning all five games. The last time was Harden himself during his time with the 76ers.

For a long time, Harden has been one of the best pick-and-roll passers in the league, and Allen’s survival skill in the league is pick-and-roll play. Whether setting screens or rolling, he’s very skilled. Although these are simple moves, many centers never fully master them; the quality of the screen, timing of the roll, and speed of the cut are all crucial.

Playing alongside Garland, Allen managed to become an All-Star boosted by team success. But under the guidance of the more experienced Harden, Allen has taken off and been fed plenty of easy baskets these past few games. Harden said in an interview, “Honestly, Allen is much stronger than I expected.” Interestingly, this opportunity for Allen could have come five years ago.

Five years ago was also when Harden left the Rockets. At that time, Harden was traded to the Nets, and Allen was used as a trade chip to go from the Nets to the Rockets, who then sent him to the Cavaliers in exchange for a first-round pick. Harden and Allen just missed crossing paths then.

Harden’s impact on big men has been evident since his early days with the Rockets. The aging Nene got a second wind playing with Harden, Asik-type players signed three-year deals worth $25.1 million, and Capela truly blossomed under Harden’s influence, signing a five-year, $90 million contract in 2018.

The partnership between Harden and Howard failed mainly because Howard didn’t want to be just a role player; he wanted more offensive freedom. Such a center doesn’t mesh well with Harden.

Though Harden’s time with the Nets was short, players like Claxton and the soon-to-retire Griffin got comfortable scoring chances inside. During Harden’s time in Philadelphia, Embiid won MVP. It’s unclear how much Harden contributed, but that season was Embiid’s lightest workload and best availability.

In 2023, Harden joined the Clippers. Zubac posted the league’s second-best shooting percentage in the 23-24 season and then signed a three-year, $58.6 million contract. In 24-25, Zubac averaged 16.8 points and 12.6 rebounds, becoming a top-tier center. Numerous examples prove Harden’s significant boost to big men.

The Cavaliers are arguably the best fit for Harden. He just needs to do what he does best on the court—glue together a team full of tough, skilled players. This team has Mitchell for scoring, Mobley and Allen for defense, a frontcourt adept at pick-and-roll, and shooters eagerly waiting for opportunities.

The Cavaliers have the easiest remaining schedule. After March, they face very few strong teams. Two games against the Pistons will decide whether they keep their hopes for the Eastern Conference’s top spot alive. Currently, the Cavaliers trail the second-place Celtics by just one win, making a top-two finish very likely.

Mitchell said, “This might be one of my last chances, and maybe James Harden’s last as well. We know what lies ahead and understand the challenges before us.”

If this is the final opportunity, then when all is said and done, hopefully none of us will have regrets about the moves we made.