Unanimous opinions in basketball are about as rare as anything in the sports world. Yet, the discussion regarding the two greatest shooting guards of all time is rather synonymous with Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant holding down the spots.
For the longest time, Dwyane Wade at No. 3 felt like a foregone conclusion, too. However, Patrick Beverley has been adamant in recent days about James Harden being way ahead of any player competing for the third spot. Unfortunately, a rival of both players, Joe Johnson, doesn’t think that is the case.
James Harden vs. Dwyane Wade: Who Is the No. 3 Shooting Guard?
From a purely statistical standpoint, the numbers do tend to skew in favor of the 2018 NBA MVP. One of the best pure scorers in basketball, Harden has averaged over 20 points per game in 13 separate seasons, while averaging 7.3 assists for his career.
Wade, on the other hand, averaged over 20 points per game in 10 seasons. However, he was a markedly worse shooter, especially from distance. But any lack in his shooting was made up for by his incredible defense, especially when compared to Harden.
Whether on the ball or off it, Wade was a spectacular defender, even earning three All-Defensive nods over the course of his career. But for all intents and purposes, the discussion boils down to the hardware collection between the two.
In the regular season, “The Beard” may have been the better performer, with an MVP, 11 All-Star nods, and eight All-NBA selections. But “The Flash” remains considered higher all time because of his work in the postseason.
Winning an NBA championship and Finals MVP in just his third season in the league, Wade went on to win two more titles and was a consistently excellent playoff performer. Harden, on the other hand, has repeatedly melted down in the postseason, with a storied history of coming up short in the biggest moments.
Beverley, when claiming that Harden was a better player than Wade, did give the Miami Heat legend his due when it came to clutchness. But he still held on to the belief that the three-time scoring leader was the far better player between the two.
Johnson, who spent nearly two decades in the league and was a seven-time All-Star, wasn’t willing to subscribe to that idea. Appearing on “The Nightcap Show” alongside NFL legend Shannon Sharpe, he made the case for Wade being ahead in those conversations.
“I’m taking D Wade. I think James Harden has a better offensive package but D Wade all around. I don’t know if y’all know this but he’s probably top 5 in NBA 2 guards for shot blocking. He play both ends of the floor. He was a lockdown defender when he needed to be playing alongside LeBron.”
That defensive edge was one of the biggest attributes in Wade’s corner, according to Johnson. “D Wade has accomplished so much, bro. I think he’s more of a two-way 2-guard…I guess it’s just your preference, bro.”
A subjective argument if there ever was one; there isn’t going to be a clear-cut answer on who is better between the two players, but their legacies and careers are among the best that the NBA has ever seen.
