Where Do You rank James Harden Among the Top NBA Players Now?

So when you said Westbrook has better motor than Harden you mean he is more Lebron James like?

 

Oh, how things change.

At first, the debate was whether or not Harden was worth the max.
Then, there's the hesitation on thinking he's a "foundation player" aka #1/1A option on a contender.
Somewhere in there, there was even a Mayo or Harden question.
Now, the debate has switched to comparing him with the best in the NBA. It's amazing how quickly things change.

Anyway, for this year only and ignoring salary, I will definitely take Lebron, Durant, Melo, Kobe, CP3 as my top-5. I think Harden belongs somewhere in the next group, with Westbrook, Wade, Howard, Duncan, Parker. So... #6-11. But I'll say top-10 because I think Wade's health issues and straight up being better than Parker.

 

If we're going by production and efficiency, James Harden has been the 2nd best shooting guard in the NBA behind Kobe Bryant, and the 8th best player overall behind James, Durant, Bryant, Lee, Varejao, Anthony, and Duncan.

Forget reputation, forget shoe commercials, we're appealing to the neutrality of statistics here: James Harden is a top 10 NBA player. What a great pickup. I'm so pleased he's a Rocket.

 

5-10 now, but moving up. Guess he is the only one among the top 25 starts less than 40 games not?

 

Harden is a one-way player, a tier below LeBron, Durant, Kobe, and Melo offensively.

Until he improves his defensive skills, he will not be a top 10 in my book. Same goes for Carmelo and Kyrie.

If Harden wants to take his game to the superstar level, he will need to play good D and play consistently.

 

He's on the way, but he needs to consistently perform for a couple seasons and significantly improve his defense. Hope he can be in his first allstar game this year.

 

He is in the top 15, I would still put with these guys list below in no particular order with him being a head at most of maybe 4 of them, depending on how they come back from injuries he could jump into the top 10 but based on abilities shown this season and previously I can't put him there yet.

- LeBron James
- Kevin Durant
- Dwight Howard
- Chris Paul
- Derrick Rose
- Kobe Bryant
- Kevin Love
- Dwayne Wade
- Russell Westbrook
- Dirk Nowitzki
- Rajon Rondo
- Tony Parker
- Carmelo Anthony
- Steve Nash

 

Rondo, Nash, Dirk, Love, Parker and Westbrook are not better than Harden.

 

I do not agree that he is below Melo or Kobe offensively. He is at about the same level as they are.

Nobody in the league is on LeBron's or Durant's level offensively though. But Harden is as close as you're gonna get without having one of those two players.

 

Top 14

 

Debatable.

Igoudala and Sefolosha can lock down Harden 1 on 1. Melo and Kobe are more difficult to lock down, but I wouldn't take them over Harden. They are more of iso players, and their style of playing will hurt a team more than they benefit.

If the ball moves around on offense where all players are involved in scoring, the team will play better defense. More isolations = worse the team defense = more losses.

It never fails if Kobe or Melo shoots alot in a game, their team will lose more than they win.

 

Kobe has always shot a lot and Kobe has 5 championship rings... So your math isn't adding up on that one..

 

Harden is better then those players bolded for sure. Kobe is a horrid defender and shot chucker this season so I wouldn't put him ahead of Harden. At worst they are even. Dwayne Wade is not the same old Wade this season

 

How many more times does Tony Parker need to tear up Rox defense before he gets any respect on CF?

 

True, one of the best point guards in the league. Maybe because of his position and all the great players he's always had around him he gets over looked... But I don't think he's better than CP3, Rondo, or S. Curry..

 

It's your math that's not adding up. Three years in the playoffs with extreme high FGA's, 0 ring.

The more Kobe shoots, the more Lakers suck. The older Kobe gets, the more his BBIQ declines.

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Does anyone really think Royce White before they think James Harden?

 

Or Jeremy Lin for that matter.

 

Putting Harden behind Curry and Z-Bo is a joke. Shows why you can't just look at team record. Those teams are much deeper and more experienced than the Rockets. Harden is being asked to carry a much heavier load than either of those guys and is producing more value in the process.