i'm talking specifically about defense there. i was replying to Gordon being called a mediocre defender.
Oh, sorry. Gordon plays hard on defense but has his limitations due to his height. Overall I'd say they're pretty close on defense. Gordon may have the slightest edge in that area due to effort level. But if Harden improves and focuses more on defense under McHale, he could well end up better than Gordon since he has better height and overall tools for defense.
Kobe and Wade. When healthy, maybe Manu? He's getting old though, and was only able to play 23 minutes a game last year, so maybe not. I'd say Harden is definitely a top 5 SG already. That's a good sign since he recently turned 23.
i agree that Harden has a ton of upside defensively, and hopefully McHale helps him reach it. But i'd say the gap has been pretty huge so far. Size helps a lot defensively, but it's not the most important factor. Length, quickness, athleticism, effort, brains. Tony Allen plays the best defense on Kevin Durant that i've seen, and he's shorter by 5-6 inches. Avery Bradley is a little bit smaller and shorter than Eric Gordon, and he was one of the very best SG defenders last year. Sydney Moncrief was possibly the best defender Jordan ever faced, and he had a very similar body to Gordon's as well.
Does anyone feel as I do that Wade looks older than Kobe out on the court? The explosiveness is clearly less than it used to be. It might be the case where he just falls off the cliff in two years. 2014: 1. Harden 2. Kobe 3. Wade 4. Baldie McNobili
Did I misread something? Did the OP just list Aaron Affalo as a candidate to be the best SG in the league in 3 years?
Of all the players listed, I'm surprised people are scoffing at Afflalo the most. If anything, I would bet on him being better 3 years later than any of the rookies(Beal, Lamb, or Waiters).
Lamb will take a while and Waiters looks like he'll bust. But I think Beal could be better than him 3 years down the line. Beal won't be close to where Harden will be though.
I very much agree with your take on Wade. Injuries have already started robbing him of his athleticism.
I think I'd take harden over wade right now. I think last year's condensed season was the beginning of the end for him. I completely realize I could be wrong but I'd take the gamble on harden at this point even for just this year.
Affalo might be better than Beal, Lamb, or Waiters in 3 years, but he'll also be 30 in three years, where as those rookies will be 22 or 23...
I do think it's safe to say Harden will be the best SG in the league in 3 years. As things currently stand he's already top 3. Something that really separates Harden from the rest of the pack (offensively speaking) to me, is his ability to create plays. He is by far, of all the guys listed, the best at creating plays for others. We saw this a lot in OKC, where Harden would take the reins at PG, allowing Westbrook to switch to a SG role. As for Wade, I think it's fairly noticeable that his style of play is taking a serious toll on his body. Not to mention in three years Wade is going to be 33 yrs old, and by then could be a shadow of his former self.
