Cavs Unleash Harden-Mitchell Backcourt Experiment Against Nets

The Cleveland Cavaliers are rolling out a starting five on Saturday that sounds like a 2K MyLeague simulation where the salary cap was turned off. According to Underdog NBA, James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Peyton Watson, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen are officially getting the nod against the Brooklyn Nets.

Seeing Harden and Mitchell share a backcourt is the kind of chaotic basketball experiment that makes League Pass worth the money. You have two guys who need the ball like they need oxygen, backed up by a frontcourt that is going to have to clean up a lot of defensive gambles.

"Underdog NBA reported: 'Lineup alert: Cavs will start Harden, Mitchell, Watson, Mobley, Allen on Saturday.'"

Mitchell is coming off a monster 32-point, 10-rebound performance in a 114-106 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday. He looked completely unbothered by the heavy workload, which is a great sign after injuries limited him to just 55 games last season.

Then there is Harden, who is currently posting a very mortal 16.0 points and 5.0 assists per game. The man has a rap sheet of 36 different injuries over his career, so the fact that he is healthy and starting in late October is a minor miracle we should all appreciate while it lasts.

For anyone looking at the prop markets, this lineup is a fascinating puzzle. Mitchell is clearly the alpha scorer right now, but Harden’s playmaking with lob threats like Mobley and Allen means the assist totals could get ridiculous if the floor spacing holds up.

The Nets are walking into Cleveland on Saturday night to face a team that has enough offensive firepower to drop 130 points or completely implode over shot distribution. Either way, it is going to be incredible television.