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.
