The Brooklyn Nets might be, on paper, the most talented team in the NBA. With Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant, Blake Griffin, and Joe Harris, they have Championship-level aspirations that everybody expects them to meet.
Perhaps their most important player, though, is James Harden, who not only acts as a ball-handler and playmaker for the crew but who also serves as an amazing isolation player. In a recent segment on “Inside the NBA,” Charles Barkley went so far as to call him the best one-on-one player he’s ever seen, much to the chagrin of Shaq and Kenny.
“James Harden is the best 1-on-1 player I’ve ever seen. He’s not as good as Michael or Kobe, but as far as the way he shoots, he can make a three anytime he wants to, he can get to the basket anytime, and he’s a great free throw shooter.
The way the game is called today, he’s the best one-on-one player I’ve ever seen.”
"James Harden is the best 1-on-1 player I've ever seen." – Charles Barkley
Wait for Shaq and Kenny's reaction 😂https://t.co/44YH4Az4Sc
— Action Network (@ActionNetworkHQ) May 31, 2021
When considering the best scorers and isolation players in basketball today, Harden certainly deserves a spot near the top. Offensively, there is really nothing the guy can’t do.
But to suggest he’s on par with guys like Kobe, Jordan, LeBron, and Iverson is considered a stretch for obvious reasons. Thanks to the new play style, scoring the basketball is easier than ever in the league today and even for all that Harden does, he has seen limited postseason success.
Nonetheless, Harden will get the chance to show the world his skills over the next few weeks, as he and his squad continue to dominate the Eastern Conference.
