Justin Whitner | Sports Writer
The game of basketball is a subject for debates. For many years, people have argued over topics such as who the best player in the world is, who has the greatest team and which athletes execute their position the finest. Nowadays, the NBA is running thin of things to discuss. This is partially due to the move Kevin Durant made when he chose to join the already dominant Warriors; however, that is a conversation for another day. With the NBA season coming soon, so is the world’s favorite basketball game, NBA 2K. The release means that every player now has their ratings out and previewed for the 2017-2018 season. What surprised some fans is that James Harden is ranked fourth overall, which is above Stephen Curry and Russell Westbrook.
The main question many 2k players have about Harden is his defensive liabilities and how they take away from the outlook of his game. The Rockets’ star player has had his struggles in the postseason including the elimination game vs. the Spurs. In probably the worst performance of his career so far, Harden had a 10-point, six-turnover game. The deal with Harden is that he can score at pretty much every angle on the court. His game has improved tremendously, and is now reaching league leading numbers. In order to maintain his rating as the highest rated guard on the game, Harden’s on-ball defense needs improving sooner rather than later. Not only will this allow 2K players to have more fun while playing with him, his team will benefit as well.
Critics of Curry often criticize the Warriors star for not covering the opposing point guard on the floor in most cases. The Baby-Faced Assassin did lead the league in steals, which helps his case as a better two-way player. Curry is already regarded as the best 3-point shooter in the world while being one of the NBA’s best finishers and ball handlers. The starting point guard for the Warriors is playing with one of the most prolific scorers the league has ever seen in Kevin Durant. This comes with a sacrifice of less shots, causing his numbers to be depleted. It’s safe to say at this point that Curry will continue to be a 94 overall. He’s still the same player he was in his back-to-back MVP seasons.
When it comes to Westbrook, viewers know the headlines. He averaged a triple double, carried his team to the sixth seed, and won MVP all in one year. With him being disputably the most elusive and athletic point guard of all time, many questions have been raised on how he is the sixth highest on the NBA 2K17. It’s a stretch to say that he is better than LeBron James, Durant and Kawhi Leonard, but it is surely known that he had the best regular season out of all guards. Westbrook’s playoff numbers were also exceptional but start to fall off at his field goal percentage. If he would like to improve upon his rating, the answer is simple: shoot with better efficiency.
So, what should the order be with Westbrook, Curry, and Harden? Well that’s up to the viewers and passionate watchers of the league. It’s hard to deny that with Curry’s playoff and finals performance that he should be the number one guard in the league. Looking at Westbrook’s historic year, his attributes should easily be the most maxed out of every guard. Harden – The Beard – will likely continue to produce at a high level as well. The season is almost a month away, but with NBA 2K17 releasing, the game will give a glimpse as to how much fun the basketball season truly is.
The Hampton Script 