Former NBA guards Patrick Beverley and Dwyane Wade have been at each other’s throats lately. It all began with Pat Bev claiming that if James Harden got a ring, he would surpass D-Wade as one of the greatest shooting guards. However, the basis of his statement irked the Flash greatly.
Not one to engage in unnecessary noise, Wade clapped back at Beverely, reminding him how “he couldn’t f—k with him” back in the day as well. Doubling down on his take, Beverley stuck to his Harden stance. Amid all the back-and-forth, Draymond Green decided to address the matter.
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The Golden State Warriors veteran could surely play peacemaker between Beverley and Wade with his take. The first thing Dray admitted was that he struggled with the idea of James at the two-guard position and that he considers The Beard as one of the greatest point guards.
“Go find me a two guard that averaged 11 assists year after year, 10 assists, 11 assists, 10 assists. Go find me a shooting guard who puts up those type of numbers. I’ll wait. Not Michael Jordan, not Kobe Bryant, not Dwayne Wade, not Reggie Miller, not Klay Thompson. Two guards don’t average 11, 10, 11 assists,”stated the four-time Warriors champion.
Reiterating that Harden was one of the elite point guards, Green did not rule out the possibility that the 2018 MVP could also be viewed as a great two guard.
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Skills as a two guard
A Top 75 player of all time, Harden is one of the most skilled guards we’ve seen in the modern era. So much so that it is often difficult to categorize him as either a shooting guard or a point guard. This is evident from the Beard leading the league in scoring and assists on different occasions.
A primary reason why Draymond believes James could make for a great two guard as well.
“James Harden could be a two guard. No question. He has the skill set to be one of the best two guards. Fortunately and unfortunately, he has the skill set of one of the best point guards we’ve ever seen. And ultimately, that one ends up taking the cake,” said Green, who felt Harden had not really played the point guard position in 13 years.
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If one were to make a strong case for Harden as a shooting guard, his tenure with the Houston Rockets could certainly be used as an example. A walking bucket at the time, James clinched three scoring titles along the course, putting up one of the greatest offensive shows of all time.
However, things changed once he forced his way out of H-Town. Unlike the Rockets, other teams didn’t design their offenses around Harden’s strengths. As a result, his scoring output would drop several notches. Taking note of it, the 6’5″ guard felt it was best to reinvent his game.
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Related: “They think they are better than everyone” – Reggie Miller compares Duke’s reputation to New York Knicks
Transition into a primary facilitator
No doubt, Harden is still an All-Star-caliber player, but one cannot deny that his scoring numbers have taken a noticeable dip, especially compared to his days in Houston. Taking stock of the situation, the veteran guard has transitioned into a more pass-first role.
While he still has his occasional high-scoring nights, James does not mind being the second option on a team. Something we’ve observed in recent years, be it with Kawhi Leonard on the Los Angeles Clippers or, most recently, Donovan Mitchell and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
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Currently averaging 23.7 points, 8.1 assists and 4.9 rebounds in the 2025-26 season, the Beard could make a push for the only thing missing from his resume, which is a championship. Regardless of whether Harden gets a ring or not, putting him ahead of D-Wade may not be the wisest choice.
Related: “He was a lockdown defender” – Joe Johnson explains why Dwyane Wade will always be superior to James Harden
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Apr 1, 2026, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.