James Harden

James Harden deserves his flowers. Few players have been more intensely scrutinized over the years, but as we get further from Harden’s prime days in Houston, it’s easier to appreciate what a masterclass he put on. Folks are understandably weary of the “heliocentric” offensive engines, but there has not been a one-man generator on Harden’s level … maybe ever? He did things we might never see done again in this league, and we should all tip our caps.

Now in the later stages of his career, Harden is systematically laying to rest a number of the criticisms that followed him throughout the years. He has been remarkably durable of late, often carrying shorthanded Clippers units on his broad shoulders. No longer the elite volume scorer of yore, Harden has seamlessly altered his play style to focus on setting up teammates and elevating those around him. He’s still a very deliberate, slow-paced ball-handler, but Harden is more willing than ever to uncork spot-up 3s and operate as a connector in the flow of the offense, rather than pulling all the strings individually.

He doesn’t quite have the burst that made him so dangerous in his prime, and the at-rim finishing isn’t nearly what it once was, but Harden’s brilliant playmaking and consistent shooting threat keeps him among the most impactful table-setting guards in the NBA. He’s changing with the times and letting his ego take a backseat, things his skeptics once believed impossible. Harden is that dude, forever and always. He’s a system.