7 out of 6! Explosive debut! Harden finally gets back his sharpshooter

Sharp, incredibly sharp.

Strus officially returned from a Jones fracture in his left foot, making his season debut.He played 23 minutes as a substitute, shooting 9 for 7, including 7 for 6 from three-point range, and 4 for 4 from free throws, scoring 24 points, 8 rebounds, and 1 assist.

Unfortunately, Mitchell and Harden were not effective, combining for 36 shots and only making 14, resulting in the Cavaliers losing 120-130 at home to the Mavericks, who are ranked 12th in the West. This meant Strus's phenomenal debut did not come with a victory.

Mavericks stats are as follows:

Regardless, Strus's return provides significant help to the Cavaliers. He can stretch the offense for the team, and partnering with Harden makes Harden's passes more threatening. They have already shown good chemistry.

This player was born on March 28, 1996, an undrafted player from the 2019 class. He is a swingman with a height of 1.96 meters and a wingspan of 2.01 meters. Throughout his NBA career, he averages 25.5 minutes per game in regular season, contributing 10.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 2.4 assists, averaging 2.3 three-pointers per game with a 37% shooting rate. In playoffs, he averages 29.1 minutes per game, scoring 9.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 2.2 assists, averaging 2.2 three-pointers per game with a 33.9% shooting rate.

So far,the Cavaliers have a record of 41 wins and 27 losses, ranking fourth in the East, trailing the third-place Knicks (44-25) by 2.5 games.

Harden has played 14 games in Cleveland, averaging 33.4 minutes per game with 19.4 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 7.7 assists, with shooting percentages of 48% and 43.6%. This season with the Clippers, he averaged 25.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, 8.1 assists, and 1.3 steals per game, with shooting percentages of 41.9% and 34.7%.

Therefore, Harden has not yet shown his best form with the Cavaliers, or is still adjusting to his new team. They have only 14 games left before the regular season ends.

If the Cavaliers aim to contend for the championship this season, Harden, as the new floor general, will have significant responsibilities.

It is worth noting that 36-year-old Harden can enter free agency early this summer offseason, seeking possibly the last major contract of his career.