NBA general managers rank Kobe Bryant as third-best shooting guard

Kobe Bryant is the third-best shooting guard in the league, according to a poll of general managers.

The NBA.com annual GM survey, released on Wednesday, lists James Harden of the Houston Rockets as the top guard, with 63% of the vote.

Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson is second with 18.5%, followed by Bryant in a tie with Stephen Curry (also with the Warriors) at 7.4% each.

Curry technically starts at point guard for Golden State, but then Oklahoma City Thunder small forward Kevin Durant came in as the fifth-best shooting guard (3.7%).

Bryant tied Cleveland Cavaliers All-Star LeBron James as the second choice to take a shot with the game on the line. Both received 7.7% of the vote, behind top-choice Durant’s overwhelming 76.9%.

Clippers guard Chris Paul was credited with the best basketball IQ (28.6%), and while Lakers veteran Steve Nash came in fourth (10.7%), Bryant was one of many runners-up who received votes.

Nash tied with Kirk Hinrich of the Chicago Bulls for third with 8% of the vote as best potential head coach. Paul also topped that category with 24%. Former Lakers guard Steve Blake, now with the Portland Trail Blazers, came in second (12%).

The 40-year-old Nash was also voted the fifth-best passer (3.6%) -- Paul again dominated the category (64.3%). Nash also received votes for best leader, which was won by Tim Duncan of the San Antonio Spurs (35.7%).

Bryant also came in as the NBA’s second-toughest player (11.1%), behind Tony Allen of the Memphis Grizzlies (25.9%) -- a category he won last season. Bryant was also named the fourth-best player getting his own shot (7.1%), behind Durant (42.9%).

The general managers don’t expect Julius Randle to be in the running for rookie of the year, but he did receive votes for rookie who will be the best player in five years. Jabari Parker (Milwaukee Bucks) finished first as both rookie of the year favorite (75%) and best player in five years (35.7%).

Randle also received votes for biggest steal in the draft, which went to Rodney Hood of the Utah Jazz (17.9%).

As a team, the Lakers were shut out of all categories, including favorite to win the Pacific Division, Western Conference and NBA Finals.

Twitter: @EricPincus