Pre-2019-20 Rank #4, Pre-2020-21 Rank: #3, Pre-2021-22 Rank: #4, Pre-2022-23 Rank: #4, Pre-2023-24 Rank: #7.

*Positional Note:  Harden plays more at Point Guard these days, but at his peak, he was more of a Shooting Guard.

*Peak Period: 2013-14 to 2019-20.

Hmmm…

James Harden has a very intriguing Hall of Fame case, though based on the bar that Springfield had set, you could argue that he has already met the requirements.

“The Beard” is a former NBA MVP and a three-time scoring champion, but he never won an NBA Title. His best years were in Houston, but he could not lead them to the Finals while he was a Rocket.  Willing his way out of Texas, he went to Brooklyn, but his reunion with Kevin Durant in Brooklyn netted nothing for either party.  Harden then joined Philadelphia, but it was the same result, as it was another super team that could not make the Finals.

Harden is currently with the Los Angeles Clippers, and with all due respect to the star, his best years are behind him.  We have seen his body of work, which is explosive scoring and lackadaisical defense, but he is a player who should quickly enter the Hall.  Harden would love to do it as an NBA Champion, but it won’t happen as a Clipper, and this won’t be his last NBA team.

Pre-2020-21 Rank: #28, Pre-2021-22 Rank: #29, Pre-2022-23 Rank #24, Pre-2023-24 Rank: #21.

*Positional Notes: DeRozan has played more at Forward in the last few years, but his peak was a Shooting Guard, so we are listing him at SG, though this could change next year.

*Peak Period: 2015-16 to 2021-22.

When DeMar DeRozan was traded from Toronto to San Antonio for Kawhi Leonard, many Raptors fans were upset, but Kawhi brought Jurassic Park a Title, and DeRozan’s past accomplishments in Toronto seemed so much smaller.  Fast-forward to his three seasons in Chicago, DeRozan re-established himself as a prime scoring threat and added two more All-Stars (he has six overall), which is the best scoring three-year period of his career.

DeRozan is now with Sacramento, a team on the rise. If the Kings make the Finals with DeRozan playing a large part in that success, would it be enough to put him over?

Pre-2019-20 Rank: #22, Pre-2020-21 Rank: #23, Pre-2021-22 Rank: #24, Pre-2022-23 Rank: #19, Pre-2023-24 Rank: #17

*Positional Notes:  Thompson is playing more at Small Forward these days, but his peak was in his role as a Shooting Guard.

*Peak Period:  From 2014-15 to 2022-23.  Note that Thompson missed the 2019-20 and 2020-21 Seasons, so this nine-year period is seven full seasons.

The elite period of Klay Thompson is over, but his narrative might be in the greatest state of flux.  Thompson was one-half of the Splash Brothers, but it was always known that his partner, Steph Curry, was the straw that stirred the drink.   A five-time All-Star, Thompson was a key part of Golden State’s last four NBA Titles, but at no time was he the top dog, and at times, not even the number two canine.

This year, Thompson joins Dallas, which is fresh off its Finals appearance.  If they win the NBA Championship in 2025, it will be a fun argument as to who it helps the most: Kyrie Irving or Klay Thompson.   

Pre-2022-23 Rank: #44, Pre-2023-24 Rank: #32.

Peak Period: From 2017-18 to 2023-24.  Mitchell has completed only seven seasons, the maximum of a Peak Period.

Unlike DeShaun Watson, Cleveland agrees with Donovan Mitchell.

Mitchell was a three-time All-Star at Utah, but the pairing between himself and Center Rudy Gobert was not working, and bluntly, they did not get along.  The Guard was traded to the Cavaliers, where in his first season, he was sixth in MVP voting and was an All-NBA Selection.

Going into this campaign, the Cavs are on the rise, and Mitchell’s best basketball could still be ahead of him.

Pre-2022-23 Rank: #38, Pre-2023-24 Rank: #32.

*Positional Notes:  Booker played more at Point Guard last year.

*Peak Period: From to 2017-18 to 2023-24.  Booker should remain in his peak period after this upcoming season.

Booker had the highest debut in the pre-2022-23 ranking, and the flashy Guard led the Suns to a 2021 NBA Final.  An All-Star four of the last five seasons, Booker added his second All-NBA Selection last year (Third Team), but the Suns have not gelled with the addition of Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal.  Phoenix enters the year as a team searching for an identity, and if Booker reclaims that for the Suns, he will see another jump on the list. 

Pre-2019-20 Season: #44, Pre-2020-21 Season: #41, Pre-2021-22 Rank: #37, Pre-2022-23 Rank: #37, Pre-2023-24 Rank: #33

Peak Period: 2016-17 to 2022-23

Beal completed 11 seasons in Washington, where he almost won a scoring title, had two 30-plus PPG years, and went to three All-Star Games, but the Wizards were a low-profile team, and Beal was never in that top-tier or even considered a must-watch player.  That was expected to change as he joined Phoenix in 2023 as the final piece to the championship puzzle, but Beal and the Suns slumped, and the Guard had his worst year to date.

The Hall of Fame dream is likely over if he cannot rebound this season.

Pre-2023-24 Rank #49.

Positional Notes:  LaVIne has also played at Small Forward and Point Guard.

Peak Period: From 2017-18 to 2023-24.  LaVine is still in his Peak Period.

Zach LaVine has done well with the Chicago Bulls thus far, appearing in two All-Star Games and posting five consecutive 23-plus PPG years, but the Bulls have not done much with him there.  Last year, he was injured for a good part of it, and as he approaches 30, he is running out of time to alter the narrative.

Peak Period: From 2020-21 to 2023-24.  Edwards has only played four seasons, and is obviously in his Peak Period.

Here is what the 2023-24 Minnesota Timberwolves have taught us.   It is Anthony Edwards team now.

Edwards, who was the 2021 runner-up for the Rookie of the Year, has been an All-Star the last two seasons, but last year, he exploded with a seventh-place MVP finish, a Second Team All-NBA Selection and a Western Conference Final appearance.  With Karl-Anthony Towns now in New York, it is up to Edwards to lead the Timberwolves to the promised land.  This opportunity could propel Edwards to the Hall of Fame.