MUST READ: Harden And The Importance Of The Mid Range Game (March 2020)

Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, and Kawhi Leonard are the best kind of superstar perimeter players in the modern era. The reason why is because they're the most reliable players that are needed to win championships. Despite his standing as the 3rd most talented player offensively of all-time, James Harden (behind Lebron and Durant) doesn't belong on this superstar list because he got rid of his mid-range game. To be elite at sizing up defenders in the mid-range area with jumpers as well as drives to the rim is the most important skill, especially in tight playoff contests where it becomes a lot more of a grind-it-out half-court game. Harden suffers through many inefficient stretches, which become more problematic come postseason time, because he threw away this crucial skill. 3's and layups are the most efficient shots in basketball so they still should be the foundation of an offense. However, being limited to only those shots is extremely risky. Harden is too reliant on contested 3-point jumpers especially when he's very cold from beyond the arc. That's a recipe for disaster because the best defenses run shooters off the 3-point line and shut down the paint. So all that's left is a mid-range attempt but the Rockets perimeter players Russell Westbrook (and Chris Paul in prior seasons) haven't accepted this and probably won't win a title until they change their philosophy.

P.S. Houston is still capable of hoisting a Larry O'Brien trophy because they have a legit chance of getting hot enough from 3, along with their star power, to where they can beat more traditional offenses come playoff time. And Harden is still an all-time great that has been disrespected for far too long.