HTML: <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>How great a story would it be if James Harden turned how to have a better career than Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook...</p>— Peter Vecsey (@PeterVecsey1) <a href="https://twitter.com/PeterVecsey1/status/288847417774850049" data-datetime="2013-01-09T03:19:25+00:00">January 9, 2013</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>How great a story would it be if James Harden turned how to have a better career than Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook...</p>— Peter Vecsey (@PeterVecsey1) <a href="https://twitter.com/PeterVecsey1/status/288847417774850049" data-datetime="2013-01-09T03:19:25+00:00">January 9, 2013</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> Since his 2nd year I knew Harden would be better than Westbrook. Durant is a stretch...but harden is a much better playmaker....hmmmmm
This could be my inner homer....but give me Harden over Westbrook all day. Lacks the elite athleticism of Westbrook, but the BBIQ of Harden is MUCH higher than Westbrook, and I'd argue that he's a better pure playmaker. Also...the way Harden can get to the line at such a high rate leads to so many easy points...I love it. It's close, but I'd take Harden. As for Durant....I doubt it. Durant could go down as one of, if not THE greatest scorer of all time. The fact that he's 6'10 but still as quick and as lethal from the outside as he is, he's literally unstoppable. Now that he's learning how to defend and rebound at a better rate, he's only getting better.
James Harden can see the floor, and potentially make his teammates better than Kevin Durant can. All that matters in the comparison is rings, though. Who can do it on the biggest stage? Right now it is 0-0... All that said, Durant is an offensive freak...
While Westbrook and Harden are different players I think Harden is much easier to build around and can mesh along with others a lot better. (this is coming from a huge WB fan too) -- this is not to discredit WB in anyway but Harden is the better play maker than WB though WB is light years ahead of Harden in terms of defense and sheer athleticism. As for Durant -- that is not going to happen -- though Harden again is the better play maker than durant is
It'll be hard to predict because they're all so young and none of them have yet to tap into their full potential. That being said, Harden is the youngest of the three and he's just get his experience as a starter. I don't think he'll ever be better than Durant, and that's not a slight against Harden. Durant he just keeps making incredible leaps each year and should always be a top two player in the league barring injury or anything related to that. He has the best chance of overtaking Westbrook. It'd be a shame if Westbrook never gets someone that can get him under control and can help him fulfill his full potential, because he's such a fun player to watch. If he never fully develops though, there's a good chance Harden will be the better player at some point in their careers. There are already people arguing that Harden is the better player and still the better fit for OKC. I would love to see Westbrook as a #1 option, because I really think he could flourish as the main guy in the right system.
Not Durant, but deff better than Westbrick. Harden is just damn efficient. We have been used to having big time scorers like T-Mac that would be volume shooters but would always fret at attacking the basket. Harden is relelntless and racks up points to the where we are like "He's at 25 now hm...nothing new". Its the way he attacks the basket, his high B-ball IQ, and great facilitating abilities that make him so good. I wasn't too high on the trade at the time. Thought it was good ...but just that. Will Happily eat fried crow.
He is already better than Westbrook, at least in so far as this season is concerned. Westbrook is struggling to score efficiently on a team with the most potent offensive player in the league, imagine how much more difficult it becomes if he was the primary option on offense and the primary focus of opposing team on defense. As for Durant, he would probably never have a better career than him.
This isn't your inner homer, Harden's better than WB. He's just more consistent, I'd take a guy who gives me 9 every game than someone who'll give me 10 60% of the time and 4 40% of the time. As for Durant I agree it's too much to expect, KD and LBJ will go down in history as the GOATs IMHO. However, there's a chance Harden might actually have a better career than Durant. Right now I don't see OKC winning a ring because Miami is still better than them, and in 2-3 years who knows? Maybe the Rockets end up being better than OKC, esp.once we get our 2nd max player to give our team a major boost. KD might end up with no rings and be the Wilt Chamberlain to Harden's Russell.
If both teams continue their current trends and the Rockets add that next big time player, I think we will have a lot of playoff series to make that decision over the next few years.
I think Harden's athleticism is a bit underrated, but my personal opinion is that Westbrook is arguably the most athletic player in the league after LeBron. Very few people are in his league in terms of athletic ability.
He looks better than Durant....no gayness here just that Durant has a wierd frame with those really small shoulders.
I think he is definitely ahead on sheer athleticism, but I think that'll play out better for Harden. WB will have to style a game later in his career unlike the one he has now of just exploding by and above the opposition. Harden will have less to change in that regard, IMO.
