After the NBA released its Annual GM Survey earlier today, there was plenty to debate. There were also plenty of picks that made people scratch their heads, but perhaps none were as odd as how the voting went down when GMs were asked to pick the best shooting guard in the NBA today.
Who is the best shooting guard in the NBA?
1. James Harden, Houston — 63.0%
2. Klay Thompson, Golden State — 18.5%
3. Kobe Bryant, L.A. Lakers — 7.4%
Stephen Curry, Golden State — 7.4%
5. Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City — 3.7%
Last year: James Harden — 56.7%
While the top two names on that list aren’t surprising, Harden and Thompson are widely accepted as the best two-guards in the game today, it’s third-place that will raise a few eyebrows.
That’s right folks, 7.4% of NBA GMs believe that none other than Kobe Bean Bryant, the 36-year-old coming off of two major leg injuries, is the best shooting guard in the NBA today. Wait what?
I get that shooting guard position isn’t the strongest it’s ever been, but there are two pretty clear choices here. The fact that some GMs still think Bryant is the best at his position speaks more to his reputation as a highly-competitive workaholic than anything else. Most Laker fans (I would hope) can agree that their star is no longer at the top of the two-guard food chain.
Also interesting is that Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade didn’t receive a single vote from NBA GMs, while non-shooting guards like Steph Curry and Kevin Durant did get votes, further cementing the belief that his career is rapidly declining.