NBA Player Rankings: Using advanced stats to rank top 5 playmakers
By Ryan McCrary
4. James Harden, Philadelphia 76ers
James Harden is not the same player he was with the Houston Rockets, as 14 seasons in the NBA have taken a toll on his explosiveness. However, he is still the ultra-skilled offensive creator who dominated the league in the late 2010s.
Last season, the 33-year-old guard averaged around 21 points, six rebounds, and 11 assists per game on 60.7% true shooting as he and Joel Embiid led the Philadelphia 76ers to a top-five offense in the league.
James Harden doesn’t score at the same volume that he did when he won an MVP back in 2018, but his passing ability is as good as it’s ever been. Last season, he had an assist rate of 43.3%, which ranked third in the NBA.
He also looked extremely good according to passer rating and box creation, ranking top five in both metrics. He wasn’t quite as good according to BBall Index’s playmaking talent metric, though, ranking 11th.
Harden hasn’t quite been on par with the three players listed above him in terms of playmaking over the years, but he does one thing at a very high level: generate high-value assists.
High-value assists are assists that come on layups, dunks, threes, and free throws, and Harden racks them up like he’s at an all-you-can-eat buffet. BBall Index tracks how many high-value assists players record per 75 possessions, and Harden has had two top ten seasons in this metric since 2020.
He hasn’t consistently been an elite passer in the playoffs, though, as he hasn’t had an assist rate of 40% in a single playoff run since 2016. That may be because his usage hasn’t been that high in the playoffs, though, so take this with a grain of salt.