The 50 greatest NBA players of the 2020s (so far), ranked

20) James Harden

Few players had a strong decade like James Harden did in the 2010s so we will try not to compare his 2020s to it. That being said, there has been a clear statistical dropoff over the first five seasons of the 2020s, with Harden averaging a more than respectable 23.2 points, 5.1 rebounds and 8.3 assists per game.

Nevertheless, it fell short of his peak with the Houston Rockets during the late 2010s. Some of that can't be blamed on his age, with him sharing the ball with Kevin Durant or Kyrie Irving (but often not with both due to the various injuries or off-court issues they had) with the Brooklyn Nets.

Then, after being traded to the Philadelphia 76ers, he had to share the ball with perennial MVP candidate Joel Embiid. After forcing his way out of Philadelphia, he was paired with Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and Russell Westbrook and saw his production dip even further, averaging 16.6 points and 6.5 assists per game in 2023–24.

Entering the second half of the 2020s, he will have more of an opportunity to score with Westbrook and George now gone and the Clippers having to rely more on him to shoulder the offensive load. Despite that, at 34 years old, he may only have one or two above-average seasons left in him before either retiring or transitioning into being a role player.

Be that as it may, with three All-Star selections and two All-NBA appearances at the halfway point of the 2020s, it wouldn't take much more for him to solidify his place among the 50 greatest players of the decade.