Former NBA guards Patrick Beverley and Dwyane Wade have been at one another’s throats these days. It all started with Pat Bev claiming that if James Harden got a ring, he would surpass D-Wade as certainly one of the best shooting guards. However, the foundation of his assertion irked the Flash enormously.
Not one to interact in pointless noise, Wade clapped again at Beverely, reminding him how “he couldn’t f—k with him” again in the day as nicely. Doubling down on his take, Beverley caught to his Harden stance. Amid all the again-and-forth, Draymond Green determined to deal with the matter.
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The Golden State Warriors veteran might certainly play peacemaker between Beverley and Wade along with his take. The very first thing Dray admitted was that he struggled with the concept of James at the two-guard place and that he considers The Beard as certainly one of the best level guards.
“Go find me a two guard that averaged 11 assists year after year, 10 assists, 11 assists, 10 assists. Go find me a shooting guard who puts up those type of numbers. I’ll wait. Not Michael Jordan, not Kobe Bryant, not Dwayne Wade, not Reggie Miller, not Klay Thompson. Two guards don’t average 11, 10, 11 assists,”stated the 4-time Warriors champion.
Reiterating that Harden was certainly one of the elite level guards, Green didn’t rule out the chance that the 2018 MVP is also considered as a nice two guard.
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Skills as a two guard
A Top 75 participant of all time, Harden is certainly one of the most expert guards we have seen in the trendy period. So a lot so that it’s usually troublesome to categorize him as both a shooting guard or a level guard. This is obvious from the Beard main the league in scoring and assists on completely different events.
A main cause why Draymond believes James might make for a nice two guard as nicely.
“James Harden could be a two guard. No question. He has the skill set to be one of the best two guards. Fortunately and unfortunately, he has the skill set of one of the best point guards we’ve ever seen. And ultimately, that one ends up taking the cake,” stated Green, who felt Harden had probably not performed the level guard place in 13 years.
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If one had been to make a robust case for Harden as a shooting guard, his tenure with the Houston Rockets might actually be used as an instance. A strolling bucket at the time, James clinched three scoring titles alongside the course, placing up certainly one of the best offensive exhibits of all time.
However, issues modified as soon as he compelled his approach out of H-Town. Unlike the Rockets, different groups did not design their offenses round Harden’s strengths. As a end result, his scoring output would drop a number of notches. Taking observe of it, the 6’5″ guard felt it was greatest to reinvent his sport.
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Transition into a primary facilitator
No doubt, Harden is still an All-Star-caliber player, but one cannot deny that his scoring numbers have taken a noticeable dip, especially compared to his days in Houston. Taking stock of the situation, the veteran guard has transitioned into a more pass-first role.
While he still has his occasional high-scoring nights, James does not mind being the second option on a team. Something we’ve observed in recent years, be it with Kawhi Leonard on the Los Angeles Clippers or, most recently, Donovan Mitchell and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
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Currently averaging 23.7 points, 8.1 assists and 4.9 rebounds in the 2025-26 season, the Beard could make a push for the only thing missing from his resume, which is a championship. Regardless of whether Harden gets a ring or not, putting him ahead of D-Wade may not be the wisest choice.
This story was initially revealed by Basketball Network on Apr 1, 2026, the place it first appeared in the Latest News part. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
