Harden's statistics are staggering, and he is without a doubt the most effective offensive player at the shooting guard position since Kobe Bryant. Is he, though, a top-five shooting guard of all time because of his great offensive skillset? No, it does not. He gets no respect from me at all as a shooter, and also lacks the physique to be considered a baller at the position.
In my opinion, Harden is only worth considering for the #1 spot if you remove Carmelo Anthony from the equation. Otherwise, he falls down quite a few places on the list.
Here is how I see the top 10 shooting guards of all time ranking:
1 Ray Allen - The King was one of the best shooters in NBA history, and his 3387 career points scored from behind the arc are still very good today. He has the highest percentage of shots that we can estimate were made (52%), which shows that he was pretty consistent as a shooter.
2 Stephen Curry - The current king of the shooting guard position is an amazing shooter who uses his incredible sense of timing and craftiness to become one of the best players in the league. He has already won two championships with the Golden State Warriors, and there's no reason why he shouldn't be able to win more with them.
He is one of the NBA's most prolific scorers and has been dubbed the league's best shooting guard as well as one of the league's top overall players. The Oklahoma City Thunder picked Harden with the third overall choice in the 2009 NBA draft. He was awarded the MVP award at the end of the 2012-13 season.
Harden is only 26 years old and is already among the top five scoring guards of all time. He is also one of just three players to average at least 30 points per game over the past five seasons (Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant). It is estimated that he will earn $20 million this year alone. In addition to his scoring skills, Harden is also known for his ability to handle the ball and create opportunities for himself and others.
Harden played one season at Texas from 2004-05 to 2005-06. That season, he averaged 28.3 points, 5.7 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game. He was named First Team All-America by both the AP and USA Today after leading Texas to its first No. 1 ranking in the country.
Harden entered the NBA straight out of college in 2009. He was drafted third by the Thunder and immediately became their go-to player when Kevin Durant decided to leave town. Since then, he has won two MVP awards and is still considered one of the league's best players today.
In addition to his scoring prowess, Harden is an outstanding passer, making him one of the league's most unstoppable offensive players. He plays on the wing but is often referred to as a point guard because of his ability to run an offense and make others around him better.
Harden entered the NBA as a rookie in 2012 after playing one season at UCLA. That year, he averaged 27.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 6.0 assists per game for the Houston Rockets. He was named the NBA's Most Improved Player that year.
Since then, he has become one of the best scorers in the NBA. In 2017-18, he averaged 28.3 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 7.7 assists per game. He is only 26 years old and continues to improve every year.
Coach K loves players who can shoot like James and believes they should be played as wings because of their ability to slash to the basket and create their own shot. However, since most coaches play their starters close to 30 minutes per game, having a second shooter like Harden off the bench would be useful in case things go south with him or someone else on the team gets injured.
Because he is so offensively skilled, Harden can make any pass on the floor and doesn't mind setting up his teammates for looks. But there is no doubt that James Harden is one of the most prolific ball hogs in the last decade.
Over the course of the NBA 19/20 season, Houston Rockets star James Harden has handily outpaced Los Angeles Lakers great LeBron James. The 30-year-old, largely considered as the finest shooting guard in the NBA, leads all scoring categories this season. He averages 35.4 points per game to go with 9.1 assists and 9.0 rebounds in 46 contests.
Harden's overall numbers are impressive, but they don't tell the whole story: he uses more than one quarter of his team's shots and splits time between point guard and shooting guard. In other words, he is not only the best scorer, but also the most important player on the court every night.
James, on the other hand, does not qualify as a "star" by any means; he spends most of his time playing off the ball for a lackluster Los Angeles team. Still, he manages to put up huge numbers every year: last season, he averaged 28.8 points, 8.0 assists and 7.9 rebounds while leading the Lakers to the second round of the playoffs.
It's safe to say that Harden is the superior player right now, but it's important to note that both men have their strengths and weaknesses. James is much better at creating his own shot and getting to the free throw line, for example, while Harden is the main distributor for the Rockets' offense.
Harden's outstanding productivity continued in 2019–20, with him finishing as the No. 1 fantasy player in eight-category leagues for the fourth time in six seasons. In 36.5 minutes, he led the league in scoring (34.3), while also averaging 7.5 assists, 6.6 rebounds, 4.4 threes, 1.8 steals, and 0.9 blocks.
As long as he remains in Houston, you can count on Harden being one of the best players in the NBA every season. He has all the tools to be an absolute monster year in and year out, starting with his incredible talent level. Harden is an elite shooter from deep (42.6 percent career) and on catch-and-shoot opportunities (54.0 percent), he makes those looks even more likely by going over the top of his defender. He also does a great job of finding teammates for open shots, as he was ranked fifth by ESPN in their rankings of "who leads most team wins?" In addition, Harden is a strong leader who brings a positive attitude to the table every day he steps on the floor. He's never been arrested nor has he been suspended for violating any rules, which makes him someone you can trust with your fantasy team.
In short, if you need a winner who will keep you winning all season long, look no further than James Harden. He's got it all: talent, work ethic, leadership skills – you name it.
James Harden has been the finest player in the NBA since joining the Brooklyn Nets. Since joining the Nets, Harden has averaged career highs in rebounds, assists, and shooting percentages, and the Nets have outscored opponents by more than 100 points while he's on the court. Before joining the Nets, Harden was the most valuable player of the 2017 NBA Finals, where his Houston Rockets defeated LeBron James' Los Angeles Lakers 4-1.
Harden is one of only eight players to average at least 10 assists and 10 rebounds per game over an entire season. The other seven players are Michael Jordan, Bill Russell, John Stockton, Karl Malone, Kevin Durant, Derrick Rose, and Chris Paul.
Harden is one of three players (along with Russell and Stephen Curry) who have won the NBA MVP award twice. He was also named the league's best player in 2014-15.
Besides being one of the best ballers in NBA history, Harden is also known for his incredible work ethic and basketball skills. He improved as a shooter over his first four seasons in the NBA, becoming one of the best pull-up jump shooters in the league.
Harden has also become one of the best defenders in the NBA. He comes up with key deflections and steals around the basket, which helps his team out on defense.
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