NBA Christmas Edition: Top 5 Players At Each Position Thus Far This Season
By Aaron Mah
No. 1 SG: James Harden
Height: 6’5″ Weight: 230 Lbs. Wingspan: 6’11” Standing Reach: 8’7.5″
Raw Stats: 28.8 PPG 6.1 RPG 6.8 APG 1.7 SPG 0.474 2FG% 0.326 3FG% 0.866 FT% 0.579 TS%
PER: 25.3
WS/48: 0.194
VORP: 2.2
RPM: 5.12 ORPM: 7.00 DRPM: -1.88
Team Record: 15-14
While many fans despise the aesthetics and integrity of his game — and his defense this season has reverted back to the embarrassing levels of two years ago — James Harden’s offensive impact alone catapults him atop the league’s shallowest position.
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His ability to draw fouls and convert freebies ranks second-to-none, as in spite of his putrid shooting from the field this season, he is still managing to produce nearly 29 points a contest on a TS% well above the league median.
However, his prestigious ranking speaks to how weak the shooting guard crop currently is. The position experienced a renaissance of sorts last season, but the revival has proven to be short lived.
If the Houston Rockets continue to struggle, though, his default title might be in jeopardy. On the other hand, if the Beard can ever find his stroke this year … watch out.
Next: #2 Shooting Guard