NBA Mentors: Which former stars could help current talent?

James Harden and Michael Cooper

James Harden isn’t a very good defender. NBA diehards have been well aware of this fact for the past few seasons, even dating back to the end of his stint in Oklahoma City, but the 2013-2014 season was rock bottom for Harden on the defensive side of the ball, as evidenced by his arrival as a mainstream internet sensation. Still, Houston’s All-NBA shooting guard is one of the best offensive players in the league, and his physical tools are not lacking in a way that would preclude him from improving his defense.

Say hello to Michael Cooper.

The former Lakers shooting guard has enjoyed success as a coach at multiple levels, but before he continued his basketball career in molding current players, he was one of the best defensive shooting guards in league history. The 6-foot-5 Cooper was the “shutdown” entity for the Showtime-era Lakers, and in addition to his multiple accomplishments, Cooper was often responsible for hiding the defensive limitations of Magic Johnson.

While Michael Cooper did not have the flashiest set of defensive statistics (a la Alvin Robertson, etc.), Cooper was the player that Larry Bird called “the best defender I’ve ever faced”, and he was selected to the league’s two All-Defensive teams in a staggering eight consecutive seasons during the 1980’s. On the flip side, Harden possesses the size, strength and agility to be a high-end defender, and while he has the “excuse” of being a do-everything player offensively, there is no reason to suggest that he should be this inept as a defensive player.

This could have been any high-level defender at the shooting guard spot, but Michael Cooper is a five-time NBA champion, and defense was at the heart of that success.