Hey guys, Analysts seem to agree, that Harden will be the best SG in 3 years - but the way he has been playing since December got me seriously considering, if he is already the best SG in the league. Obviously his main and arguably only competition at this point is Kobe. Stats wise they are very close. Kobe has a slightly better FG%, 4 more points and a rebound more per game - Harden takes about 5 less shots (takes more FTs) and has an assist more. If you look at advanced stats, Harden has the better true shooting percentage (.606 to .588) and a slightly lesser PER (25 to 23.8). Kobe obviously has the way better track record so far - but this season he has trouble to help his team win. Harden on the other hand has played a big role in a great Rockets season so far, that exceeded the expectations of basically all analysts. And while Kobe tries to do it all every night, Harden seems trust his teammates more, and is willing to take a back seat when somebody else is hot - always ready to take over when he is needed to. So, who is the best SG in the NBA right now? Kobe? Harden? Or perhaps somebody else like Wade?
I'll say wade and kobe are still better, ginobili i think is as good as harden, but he's definitely not having anywhere near the impact harden is on his team.
I think RIGHT NOW, it's still Kobe Bryant. Dude is having one of the best seasons of his career in his mid 30's, and leads Harden by a few points in PER. It's not translating to wins, but Kobe has been balling this season, so I still give the slight edge to him. But after that I really do think it's Harden. I think he's passed up Dwayne Wade. He's more efficient, more productive, and while he has to play 2nd fiddle to Lebron, Harden is just more dynamic at him at this point in their careers. Harden is better at playmaking and shooting as well I would say. But really you could make a case for either one.
Too early to tell. He could possibly be in the honeymoon phase of his young career as a starter. I would rather wait until the end of the season to make that assertion.
If they ever make a rule in basketball that you're not allowed to take three steps after picking up your dribble.... James is screwed...
I think it's Kobe ahead of Harden, however by next year and Definantly his third year in a Rockets uniform, no one will be touching him! It's going to take him some time to improve efficiency as he adjust to the role of option number one! With that said he already pretty damn good!
I'm going to wait until Harden has a playoff series under his belt as the #1 option before I can claim he's better than Kobe.
If we're talking about who is best at the position, then Dwyane Wade is an irrelevant comparison. Off his cycle, his athleticism cratering hard, Wade has no place in this discussion. The consensus-best shooting guard in the league has been Kobe Bryant for over 10 years now. So the question is really "Is James Harden better than Kobe Bryant?" We are just coming off a bad game for one player and a good game for the other, so our measurements might be a little off right now, but I would say cautiously....yes. James Harden is better than Kobe and therefore the best at the position at this point. When you factor in: - Harden's defense (5th in the league in steals) - playmaking ability (good for 1-2 extra assists per game than Kobe despite similar usage) - Incredible efficiency, particularly in cutting to the basket and getting to the line I think Harden brings the total package. I think he is the better of the two players by a not insignificant margin. Our perceptions and the stats that reinforce them could change in the last half of this season, but that's where it stands now. James Harden is better than the guy who is supposed to be #1 at the position, and so what does that make James Harden but #1 at the position?
It's really difficult to be the best SG in the NBA when you are only slightly above mediocre on one side of the ball. In 3 years, though, Harden may possibly become the best SG in the NBA on the virtue of Kobe and Wade not being in the league anymore. I doubt it, though, if you count two-way players like Paul George as SGs, as it appears that a lot more players are able to improve their shooting than their defense. So the real question is, can Harden become an elite defender? That is going to determine whether he becomes the best SG in the NBA down the line.
I don't know. Is Kobe a better pure shooter? Yes, but it's really close. Does he have a history of being clutch? Yes, but does that factor into this since it's a right now question? IDK, I'd say no. Harden is the better facillitator, better passer, and probably the better teammate/attitude. If it's still Kobe it's really close. I think Harden edges him when you consider them within the context of a team.
I think a lot of the other posters nailed it, Kobe is the better "pure" SG, if they dueled one on one unfortunately my answer would still be Kobe. At this point Kobe's 10x more experienced, and unlike Wade his athleticism still hasn't left him (BTW wtf? Someone actually put Wade over Harden? LOL Manu's better at this point than Wade), and again his D is still better than Harden. But that's what you get when Kobe's 30+ and Harden's 23. However, I think Harden's playmaking ability makes him overall the best SG in the league right now. Kobe's putting up good stats, however Harden's really been on a tear, and just dunking and shooting fts on everyone. Add his playmaking ability on top of that, then Harden's definitely better.
Totally off-topic, but he thinks the euro-step is travelling. If it wasn't travelling for Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker all these years, then I don't see how it's travelling now.
It seems to me that Kobe has a peculiarly intense personality. On the one hand, it makes him very competitive and is the reason he's as great a player as he is. On the other hand, if it isn't handled right I think it can be bad for the team -- and my impression is that Kobe's personality is a big factor in the Lakers not performing this season (and for letting Detroit beat their last superteam with Karl Malone and Gary Payton). So, Kobe might be awesome on the court, he may be a team player on the court, all the stats could say he's the best, but if he's poisoning his team, does it matter? Conversely, if the only reason he's poison is because this coach can't handle it like Phil Jackson could, then is it really on him? It's a team sport and people always want to think about it as an individual sport. When Allen Iverson had Larry Brown coaching, they had a great team and contended. When he had lesser coaches, he was a ballhog and a malcontent and a team-killer. If Iverson and Bryant changed places in their careers and Iverson could work under Phil Jackson, would Kobe be the malcontent bounced to the CBA while Iverson was the Air Apparent with multiple championship rings?
I didn't believe I'd be considering this so soon, but here we are. All he needs to do is improve defense (stop leaving guys open in the corners FFS!) without his talent at scoring regressing and I wouldn't hesitate a second to call him the best SG.