The Cleveland Cavaliers came in with a golden opportunity on Monday night.

Facing a Charlotte Hornets squad that was down several starters, Jarrett Allen made his return to the lineup. This is the type of situation that players relish.

Here’s the thing, though. The first half came and went. Charlotte, the #30 scoring team in the NBA at just 96 a night, scored 69 in the first half. It’s one of those halves that just have to be forgotten.

It somehow got even worse to start the third quarter. They used two timeouts in a 90-second span as the lead ballooned to 33.

The reserves came alive to help the team make things interesting, but it was still a double-digit loss in perhaps the most winnable game to this point in 2026-27.

Here are three potential solutions to the mess:

1) Bench James Harden

It’s not rocket science. Rolling out the same struggling group game after game will not fix the problem. The victory over the Sixers was great to see, but the Cavs have now dropped three of their past four games.

And the chemistry between James Harden and Donovan Mitchell is not where it should be.

James Harden. Yikes. pic.twitter.com/Z08ZE2EQIg

— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) November 10, 2026

Harden logging the first nine minutes of the game has not seemed to work. As he finished his first and third quarter runs, the team seems to struggle a bit. That happened both times against the Hornets. At 37 years of age, The Beard isn’t getting any younger, and the lack of effort on defense sets a dangerous tone.

Kenny Atkinson is going to have to consider moving him to the bench. Meleek Thomas has proven time and again that he can handle whatever he needs to for this team. Harden is showing to be past his prime and should not be a guaranteed starter

2) Change Peyton Watson’s Minute Patterns

The way Kenny Atkinson has used Peyton Watson has been interesting. The new forward has shown a lot of good signs this season, despite struggling with shooting percentage. Defensively, he’s still had a strong impact and found different ways to contribute, while dealing with those growing pains.

A few miscommunications here and there. It’s the usage that is a problem.

Peyton Watson continues to be on the wrong side of defensive miscommunications. pic.twitter.com/K5xEASd41X

— RealCavsFans.com (@realcavsfans) November 10, 2026

Watson gets zero minutes with the second unit. He starts and plays about seven minutes. Then they choose to sit him for 9-10 before bringing him back in to end the first half. If a player will sit the back-half of the first quarter, he should be back in to begin the second, not sitting another 5-6 minutes.

Spida dishes it to Watson for the bucket 🤝

Donovan Mitchell finds Peyton Watson inside for the layup on NBA TV! pic.twitter.com/xd4267mYur

— NBA TV (@NBATV) November 8, 2026

Watson can really have his game unlocked by not being on the court with two ball-dominant guards at all times. He has not scored at the level a healthy Max Strus once did, because the touches haven’t been consistent.

The rhythm is still coming along. And tossing him in with a unit that moves the ball more may help him.

Also, seeing 30-35 minutes would be far better than the 27-30 he has been logging. They need him.

3) Get The Body Language Up

Plain and simple. The players on this team clearly support one another. The early-season miscommunications between Donovan Mitchell and Mario Hezonja aren’t a thing anymore. The reserves have all spoken highly of the others. It’s a group filled with players who play with their heart on their sleeve.

But body language is a problem. James Harden, if you watch closely during games, has stomped his foot a few times. He’s shown signs of frustration. Mitchell has had the same issue, though it hasn’t really shown up in any of the games in the past week.

Kenny Atkinson is smiling through all the press conferences while sitting with his arms crossed, shaking his head on the bench.

A number of coaches stand and move along the baseline, while he’s been someone that’s been seated a bit more. Is that seat getting hotter?

Kenny on how the Cavs came out:

"I just felt like their energy level was at a 10, our energy level was at a 5. ... The difference in energy level was stark." pic.twitter.com/6iIdsBydlC

— RealCavsFans.com (@realcavsfans) November 10, 2026

This has to be better. It can be tough in the heat of battle when frustration comes along, but even so. It matters.

Anyway…

The Cavs take on the Knicks on Wednesday. As they sit at 5-6 now, this game will be important. Because getting to two games under .500 would be dangerous.

And facing a team that they are 1-7 against in their last eight games, in the loudest environment in the league, too, is not easy.

How Cleveland comes out of the gates will be the be-all, end-all.