Draymond Green Gives Honest Defense of James Harden After Playoff Struggles
Draymond Green is not ready to pile on James Harden for his playoff struggles. While Harden has taken plenty of heat for the way things have gone against the Pistons, Green believes the criticism needs more context.
In his view, this is not just another case of Harden coming up short in the postseason. It is also about the matchup, with Detroit throwing younger, longer, and more athletic defenders at him throughout the series. For Green, one tough series should not be used to dismiss Harden's entire resume or act like he suddenly forgot how to play.
During a recent episode of his show Green explained what he thinks is going on with Harden in the series against the Pistons.
Draymond Green defends James Harden playoff struggles because the Pistons are ‘taller and younger'
— NBA Courtside (@NBA__Courtside) May 9, 2026
"Duncan Robinson is not a great defender, but he's 6'7. You got 6'7 Cade, you got 6'7 Ausur Thompson long as hell and athletic, 6'8 Tobias, 7'0 Jalen Duren. Some to James struggles… pic.twitter.com/LfvVJZnJmq
He said, "Duncan Robinson is not a great defender, but he's 6'7. You got 6'7 Cade, you got 6'7 Ausur Thompson long as hell and athletic, 6'8 Tobias, 7'0 Jalen Duren. Some to James struggles is due to that. All those guys are much younger than him…. I think some of the criticism he's getting though is everybody is tying different years and series to this one. No, this I think is just a tough series for him… To tie it into everything and try to discredit who he is as a player and who he's been and the resume he's built, like come on man. Some series are just much tougher than others"
A Closer Look at James Harden' Struggles Against the Pistons
James Harden's playoff noise is getting louder, and the numbers explain why.
Through the first two games against Detroit, Harden has shot just 9-of-28 from the field, which works out to 32.1%. He has 32 total points, but also 11 turnovers, and that balance is exactly what has people frustrated. For a player Cleveland brought in to make life easier for Donovan Mitchell, the Cavs need cleaner possessions than this.
Game 2 only made the conversation worse. Harden finished with 10 points on 3-of-13 shooting, missed all four of his three-point attempts, and gave the ball away four times. That is not enough from someone expected to be a steady playoff creator.
The bigger issue is that Detroit is making him look uncomfortable. The Pistons' size, length, and athleticism have taken away some of his rhythm, and Harden has not consistently punished them for it. Instead of controlling the pace, he has looked rushed at times.
To be fair, Cleveland's problems are bigger than one player. The Cavs were awful from three late in Game 2, and Mitchell also struggled from deep. But Harden is naturally going to get the spotlight because this is exactly why Cleveland traded for him.
Now Game 3 becomes a major response game. Harden does not need to be prime Houston Harden, but he does need to look like the veteran star Cleveland thought it was getting.
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This story was originally published May 9, 2026 at 11:03 AM.