Rachel Nichols

There's no better opportunity for Harden to do it than right now with this Cavs roster.

The fact he has a partner in the backcourt by his side, and Donovan Mitchell, two really good frontcourt players, and Jared Allen and Evan Mobley, a bunch of really good wings, Max Struess, Dean Wade, Sam Merrill, and all up and down the line.

This is a strong Cavaliers team, and he doesn't need to have the responsibility all on his shoulders.

I mean, you talk about the choke jobs, and it's true.

He had them.

But he was also, with the Houston Rockets, the only player to go deep into a series in the West against those juggernaut Warriors teams.

Even last year, at this stage of his career, he had a stinker in the Game 7 loss against Denver, but he also had 28 points in Game 6.

to push it to a game seven.

So he has his highs still.

And now I think he has a better supporting cast around him where he can lean into it when he's on and focus on the playmaking and making an impact elsewhere when he's not feeling it.

So this is the opportunity for Harden to change that conversation about him.

So I think the Thunder are going to win, which would make SGA a back-to-back champion, presumed back-to-back MVP, presumed back-to-back finals MVP.

The six guys with multiple regular season MVPs and finals MVPs, it's Kareem, it's Mike, it's Magic, it's Bird, it's Duncan, it's LeBron.

It's the six greatest players of the last 50 years, basically, and soon to be SGA, if I'm right.

Would you take the Thunder or the field ahead of these playoffs?

I'll take the field.

I mean, I just think there's so many great teams in the league right now between the Spurs and the Nuggets in the West and then the Celtics and the Pistons in the East.

And we'll see who else can get there.

It's so hard to go back to back.

I mean, there's a reason why it hasn't happened for seven years.