With Chris Paul healthy and James Harden playing some of the best basketball of his career, the Rockets‘ backcourt is making its case to be considered the NBA’s best, writes Brian Mahoney of The Associated Press.
Harden and Paul have combined for 14 All-Star nods between them, and the duo has helped lead the Rockets to a West-best 16-4 record so far this season. Harden, who has taken his game to another level, as Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer outlines, is currently leading the league with 31.7 PPG and 9.8 APG. Paul, who hasn’t yet played enough games to qualify for the NBA’s leaderboard, is also averaging a double-double – 10.8 PPG and 10.8 APG – and has only turned the ball over seven times in six games.
Although Houston’s new starting backcourt has looked unstoppable as of late, it’s not the NBA’s only pairing of All-Star guards. Any conversation about the league’s best backcourts would have to include the Warriors‘ combination of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, and the Trail Blazers‘ duo of Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum.
Over in the Eastern Conference, one could argue that Wizards stars John Wall and Bradley Beal, along with the Raptors pairing of Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan, should also receive consideration.
Today, we’re asking you to make the call. Which backcourt duo is currently the NBA’s best? This isn’t about which one you’d rather have for the next 10 years, but which one you’d prefer now, for the rest of the 2017/18 season.
Vote below in our poll and jump into the comment section to explain your pick!
Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.
Why did they leave out Jarrett Jack and Frank Ntilinka from the Knicks
LOL. Nice one
Rockets definitely have the best duo when healthy. But since CP3 is never healthy and we live in the real world imma stick with the Warriors.
I’d take Boston’s backcourt over WAS, TOR and HOU
Kyrie Irving and Jaylen Brown
Yeah the only thing that’s weird with Boston is when Smart starts he’s probably the 2 technically but Boston has moved away from positions other than a central ball handler and a big so it doesn’t really matter for them.
Simmons and Redick
Payton and Fournier?
Scoring it’s a toss up between Lillard and McCollum vs Curry and Klay. Defensively Wall and Beal. On the up is def Irving and Brown vs Simmons and Reddick (Fultz once he’s healthy).
Until Harden plays defense, he should NEVER be considered as the best all-around anything, nor part of the best all-around anything. Harden is one of the games best offensive players, that’s it, and that’s all he ever will be until he at least starts making an effort on defense…
It baffles me as to why he gets such a pass for never playing defense…Offensively, he’s awesome, outstanding, but he’s a dud, a dead fish, a ghost, and simply just non-existent on defense…