On the latest episode of The Draymond Green Show with Baron Davis, co-host Baron Davis was asked to share his list of the top five players in the NBA today. Davis’ first four picks weren’t all too surprising but his fifth sure was, as he went with James Harden.
“No. 1, SGA (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander),” Davis said. “Front-runner candidate. No. 2, Joker (Nikola Jokic). Just because it’s s***. What else can you say? No. 3, (Jayson) Tatum… Giannis (Antetokounmpo) … because he decided that he’s going to turn the Milwaukee Bucks around. Giannis is back to Giannising and doing what he do. And then No. 5 for me is I would say a sleeper in this whole thing is James Harden.
“Look at what the Clippers have done up until this point in the season,” Davis continued. “The Beard is back and I would say back better than ever. Taking that two years in Philadelphia as a playmaker with (Joel) Embiid allowed him to now figure out and redefine his system and now it’s working for the Clippers.”
Harden undoubtedly has had a great season so far. The 10-time All-Star is averaging 21.4 points, 6.0 rebounds, 7.9 assists, 1.5 steals, and 0.7 blocks per game and has led the Los Angeles Clippers to a 20-17 record.
There was talk at the start of the season that the Clippers might completely collapse due to Paul George’s departure and Kawhi Leonard’s injury, but Harden has ensured no such thing happened. They are currently the seventh seed and could well end up making the playoffs.
While what Harden has done is impressive, having him in the top five seems a bit much. The 35-year-old has put up good numbers but is shooting just 38.9% from the field. You wouldn’t have someone who has been that inefficient in the top five.
The likes of LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant, to name a few, all have better cases for a spot in the top five. Curry and Durant have been unable to prevent their teams from sliding down the standings while James had a slump earlier in the season unlike anything we had ever seen in his career, but you’d still put them above Harden.
As for the top spot, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander got it and he is rightfully the favorite for the MVP award right now. He is averaging 31.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 2.0 steals, and 1,2 blocks per game in 2024-25, and has led the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 31-6 record.
While Gilgeous-Alexander has played incredibly well, Nikola Jokic is still widely regarded as the best player in the NBA. The only reason he isn’t running away with MVP is because his team hasn’t had an amazing start to the season.
The Denver Nuggets are currently the fourth seed in the West with a 22-15 record despite Jokic averaging 31.6 points, 13.0 rebounds, 9.9 assists, 1.8 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game. He has been ridiculously efficient too, shooting 55.6% from the field and 47.7% from beyond the arc.
The Nuggets have somewhat turned the corner recently with six wins from eight games and if they keep this up, Jokic might end up winning his fourth MVP in five years.
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