Fansided: James Harden #1 Shooting Guard (2014-2015)

you can't be the #1 SG in the league with bad defense. Defense is half of the game. Actually, 'defense wins you championship' isn't false. Offense can be tailored so that other members can shoot / handle the ball more. Defense isn't so easily distributed, because once you lose your man, the teammate has to pick up the slack on team defense, which also leaves their man open for an open shot.

 

The 2 spot is kinda weak around the league combined with just how good he is on offense makes it very easy to be the #1 SG in the league even with bad defense.

 

Sure it's almost by default, but Harden is clearly the top SG in the league.

 

The default James Harden isn't good enough because he plays no defense argument. you're better than that... detached my retina eye rolling your post...

No defense and using one hand... his right hand, Harden is still easily the best SG in the NBA... Who would you put above Harden!?

QUICK! Name four SG in the league in 45 seconds!

Spoiler

Times up!

You said James Harden and Kobe Bryant..

You thought Klay Thompson was a SF so you accidentally omitted him from your list..

all other names you forgot.

 

ya know, i don't love kobe bryant, but not in the top 10 really?!?

 

Lazy writing that regurgitates the currently fashionable bashing of Harden's defense. Is this site a clone of Bleacher Report?

 

Kobe has been injured (and he was horrible on D himself in his most recent prominent season a couple years ago) and Wade has fallen off tremendously on both sides of the court. Who else is there?

 

I think Kobe is still #1, even at his old age. Harden can get to the rim easier than Kobe, but Harden looks to get the call rather than looking to score. When the refs dont call for Harden...well we saw what happened in the playoffs. The way Kobe controls the ball and moves, it's incredibly crafty. Pump-fakes, semi-spins, and the general footwork is leaps better than Harden at the moment. But that's because Kobe has had much more experience and he knows how to fake defenders out.

Kobe has adjusted his game to rely more on jumpshots. I think Kobe has a more reliable jumpshot, even if his FG% is slightly lower than Harden's. Harden is a better 3 point shooter for sure, however.

I'm not going to compare the assists because Harden is the primary playmaker while Kobe still lets Nash do his thing, so there's a major discrepancy in the stats.

And defensively, Kobe isn't a defensive maestro either but is still a major upgrade in that compartment.

It's all on Harden to claim that spot though. I want him to motivate himself and grow as a player to take it. Losing out to a 36 year old isn't a knock on Harden...Kobe is the greatest guard to play the game after Jordan. We want Harden to step it up during the playoffs when it actually counts; I was seriously disappointed in the portland series.

 

You know you might have an easier job convincing us you aren't a laker troll if you didn't actually quote lakersground.

 

and he is again injury prone, lost his hops and some of his speed

 

#1 on offense.
Dead ****ing last on defense.

 

Is it interesting that the players are here ranked by their regular season stats not the playoff stats.

 

Even as bad as harden was in the playoffs... Stats wise he was still the best 2 guard.

 

Is it even possible to be #1, in anything, when you only played in 6 games for the past season and a half combined?

 

Kobe has the rep of being a good defender, but in reality he has been abysmal in recent years. Harden is already better offensively than Kobe was pre-injury.

Harden is the best 2, even if by default. If Russell Westbrook played his actual position, there might be a discussion to be had.