Top 10 Best NBA Players Right Now

#5 James Harden

NBA Awards Show 2018 - Backstage Photo Room

If you didn't fear the beard yet, its high time you started doing so. For a player who has consistently produced MVP-caliber seasons over the last 4 years, his speech was surprisingly unprepared and half-baked when he did get the award for his performances in the 2017-18 season.

Harden is the most valuable offensive player in the league today if we combine playmaking and scoring responsibilities on a per-minute basis. He averages more assists per 36 minutes than LeBron James or Chris Paul over the last 4 years and more points than Russell Westbrook, Steph Curry or Kevin Durant at the same time.

Ever since getting enough scoring and playmaking help on the Rockets roster in the form of the still-Godly Chris Paul, Harden has effectively become a plus defender. He was always a good on-ball defender, but now he has the energy to get past ball screens, while coach Mike D'Antoni has recast him into a weak-side post defender, a job at which he excels because of his excellent lower-body strength and technique.

The next, logical step in Harden's NBA career would be to win a championship and probably a Finals MVP trophy to go with it. The latter half of this challenge is something the next player on this list has to accomplish, too.