Top 5 Shooting Guards in OKC Thunder History
By JM VanSant
James Harden
As much as it pains me to relive the joyous times of The Beard in Oklahoma City, we must review his successes. After being selected with the third pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, James Harden spent the first two years of his career learning the trade under the wings of fellow youngsters Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook before finally stepping into his own during the 2011-2012 NBA season. And when I mean stepping into his own, I really mean exploding into the spotlight. Harden had a monster season, averaging 16.4 PPG and 3.7 APG on .491/.390/.846 shooting splits en route to becoming the second-youngest player to ever win the league’s Sixth Man of the Year Award.
The Beard provided a new element to the Thunder’s offense that hasn’t been seen since: a relief valve. Playing the role of super-sub, a la Manu Ginobili, Harden would take over the second-unit and allow Durant and Westbrook to breath. His help extended to time when all three of them were on the floor as well. The most prime example of this cohesiveness can be found in Game 5 of the 2012 Western Conference Finals versus the San Antonio Spurs. With just over 40 seconds left, Harden dribbled up the floor, sized up a young Kawhi Leonard, and buried a three in his face in order to secure the Thunder’s third straight victory and a 3-2 series lead. His ability to take some load off his teammates’ backs helped OKC more than people realized and that element has been sorely missed since.
James Harden is unquestionably the greatest shooting guard in franchise history and his triumphs as a member of the team should be looked back on fondly. But his departure will forever create one of the biggest “what-ifs?” in sports history.