James Harden and the Most Unique Talents in the NBA
James Harden's unique talent has been on full display during the season where he claimed the Sixth Man of the Year award, but he's not the only one with an unorthodox game in the NBA.
Some guys make their living on being a matchup nightmare for the opposition, and it's awfully tough to prepare for a player who can be unpredictable. It's not surprising that these players are successful considering how tough it is to guard each of them at times, and each should have fruitful careers if they continue their current trajectory.
While an argument can certainly be made for others, these five guys really stick out when discussing stars who the opposition has to plan around before facing them in a game.
James Harden
Harden is a model of efficiency when he's going well, and he took a huge step forward this season for a promising Thunder squad.
With the ability to pass like a point guard and stretch the floor like a shooting guard, Harden's skill set is a perfect complement to teammates Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.
There were a lot of questions about Harden after his rookie season with the lofty expectations placed upon him, but he's proving that general manager Sam Presti made the right move yet again.
Rajon Rondo
Aside from his proclivity to pass out of uncontested layups in order to rack up assists, Rondo's game is everything anyone could want from a pass-first point guard.
Despite struggling from the foul line and with his jumper at times, Rondo's ability to find his teammates in a variety of spots on the floor is unlike any of his peers around the league. Simply put, he makes plays happen before the opposition can even see them developing.
If he ever learns to develop a consistent shot from the perimeter so the defense can't sag off on him, Rondo is going to be nearly impossible to defend.
This list would be incomplete without he inclusion of James, the only player in the league who is truly capable of guarding every position.
Aside from his very obvious offensive talents, James is a beast defensively, and a guy with his size and strength simply shouldn't have the speed that he does. An athletic freak who exploits the opposition, James is dominant over competition that just can't slow him down.
We haven't seen a player like James in a long time, and it's unlikely we'll see another after him in his mold.
Kevin Durant
Durant is seen as a pure scorer, but he's so much more than that at this stage of his career. People forget that this guy is 6'10", and that's not exactly traditional for a small forward.
He has a smooth jumper and has great success from the perimeter, but if the defense attempts to close out on him, he'll blow right past the opposition and attack the rim with ferocity.
It's scary to think that he's only 23 years old considering how good he already is, and it will be incredibly fun to watch him mature on the court.
If Wall wasn't on the Wizards, we'd all be talking about him much more frequently than we do.
With incredible speed and absolute relentlessness in how he attacks the rim, Wall's explosion is a serious asset and forces opposing point guards to gamble against him defensively.
It wouldn't be a shock whatsoever to see Wall have a full-fledged breakout season with better talent around him.
