Should seem somewhat obvious but it's nice to get some more ESPN recognition. They did a 5 on 5 today on who will be the best at each position and Harden was the unanimous choice across the board for shooting guard. 2. In 2015, who will be the best shooting guard in the NBA? Arnovitz: James Harden. Shooting guard used to be the queen on the chess board, but the ranks of elite 2s has really thinned out. The favorite right now would be Harden and he's the best, but if Shabazz Muhammad is the intuitive, ready-made star many believe him to be, he could conceivably make a case, as he'll be entering his third season in the NBA. But Harden's complete game -- the handle, the touch, the instincts, the playmaking ability -- has him on track. Gordian: James Harden. Freed from his role as a super-sub in Oklahoma City, Harden's shooting, vision and playmaking ability are finally being recognized as among the best at his position. As Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade and the older generation of shooting guards near the end of their careers, Harden will emerge as the top 2-guard in the league. Pina: James Harden. A case can be made that he's the most efficient player in basketball, scoring more points than LeBron James and Russell Westbrook this season while leading the entire league in made free throws (only Dwight Howard has attempted more). Harden is the primary reason Houston's offense is one of the 10 best in basketball, and at only 23 years old his future looks glorious. Schiller: James Harden. Although I love Harden's game, placing him as the best in his position feels somewhat odd. That said, the NBA only has three superstar-level shooting guards at the moment with the other two (Bryant and Wade) on the wrong side of 30. I doubt any incoming NBA prospect overtakes the list within three years, so Beardy it is. Soriano: James Harden. Not only is Harden young enough so he'll still be right in the middle of his prime, but the experience he's getting as "the man" in Houston will only accelerate his growth as a player. I expect his offensive repertoire to only become more well-rounded and his defense to improve as well. As Kobe and Wade decline, Harden will be right there to carry the torch as the game's best SG. Link: http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/page/5-on-5-121226/the-best-nba-players-2015
2015? The way things are going he's probably the best SG in 2014! Or 2013 even Harden is a superstar without the (negative) ego of one. Was worried a bit that having spent time with Melo and company in the Olympics will make him snobbish. Am really glad that this is not the case.
Players have become so diverse in their skill sets in modern basketball. It's no longer enough for a guard to just be a shooter or a passer; he has to be able to do both. Same with the bigs. You can't just be a rebounder or a scorer. Hell, you even have to be a 3pt threat like Kevin Love. I don't think SGs have disappeared as much as they've blended with all the other positions. I mean, what the hell do you call LeBron, position-wise? You've got guys who are just a few inches away from being 7-footers being able to knock down 3s, dish assists, rebound, and make steals.
Completely agree. If Lin continues to show improvement like he has the last 2 weeks i can see him being a top 10 PG. Parsons can be a top 10 SF, and Asik can be a top 5 center. Now all we need is that elite PF, and you have a championship caliber team.
Mock Top 5 SGs in the league for 2015: 1. Harden 2. Eric Gordon 3. OJ Mayo 4. Terrence Ross 5. Jeremy Lamb
Ender Wiggins might be in the top 5 as early as 2015. He's that good. He can come in and do well just like Kyrie did.
Maybe if Gordon can stay healthy, but so far in his career he's shown he can't.(unless he gets traded to Phoenix!:grin
How do you define a SG? Is a SG a smallish player with a sweet jump shot? If so, then that's way too limited a skill set to thrive in the NBA. The death of the mid-range jumpshot has also probably contributed to the demise of the SG. Unless you're a knockdown 3pt guy, pure shooters just aren't that useful in today's NBA.
I think he's already better than wade! And lord know he's more efficient than Kobe... By next year I expect him to be the best SG and top 5 overall in the league
Intelligence wise he's in a class of his own. He's a natural leader. He's tough despite his size. He's good at recognizing traps in the opponents strategy. Most importantly he's not afraid of the moment and feels like he has something to prove. Yes, the buggers won't know what hit them.
