The Cleveland Cavaliers are all-in. We know that. And although I questioned the James Harden addition when it happened (and still have questions about his viability in the playoffs), things have gone so well with Harden in the mix that it's fair to wonder whether things will, truly, really, seriously be different for Harden and the Cavaliers in the playoffs this time.
Two things are working in favor of Harden and the Cavs; firstly, this is the best team Harden has played on in a long time. While both the 2023-24 and 2024-25 Clippers teams were very good regular season teams, neither had a serious shot at postseason success and were dismissed in the first round.