Kenny Atkinson Admitted The Cavs Would Have Lost Round One Without Harde

Atkinson's postgame defense of Harden sparks a bigger conversation about the trade itself, with Ken making the sharpest case yet that the difference between "would not," "will not," and "may not" win a championship is the entire argument for why the deal had to be made. The backline defense breakdown gets a fair look too, with Ken pointing out that Mobley and Allen were covering for Harden all night until they stopped, which is exactly what the trade was supposed to provide. It never ends well with Harden, Ken admits, but the Eastern Conference Finals is proof that it was always going to end worse without him.