Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong. So far this season, Harden is assisted on 36% of his shots, while Mayo is assisted on 59%. On assists, Mayo has 36 on the season (but only 4 to 3 pt shooters and 4 for dunks) and already has 16 TOs on passing (not dribbling). Harden has 52 assists on 17 TOs, and has 19 assists for 3 pointers and 8 on dunks, indicating that he has better vision to make more efficient passes.
You really should stop while you are ahead. No, no people didn't know Jordan would be Jordan when he was a rookie....but when he was a rookie his numbers were much better than many NBA players in their prime. You just don't say thinks like this until a player has about a few MVPs, DPOYs, and championships before you even start to wonder if Harden can be as good as Jordan.
So being old makes you better? I'd rather have Chandler Parsons than Vince Carter. I'd take Asik over Kaman. What's your point?
MJ was also Drafted 3rd overall behind Bowie (WAS supposed to be good) and Hakeem (history speaks) Lin was undrafted and cut 3 times... wait since you wanna use the MJ comparison...wasnt Harden drafted 3rd...
I think that before the time he dropped 50 ppg on the Celtics during a playoff series, that people knew he was something special. (If I am recollecting correctly.) Worlds best? That conclusion can only come a whole body of work.
the learning curve.. seriously come on. Im not saying that i wouldnt either but you cant compare a young team WHOSE CORE PLAYERS are still adapting to the NBA and their new roles... How many first year starters does DallASS roll out everynight.
But would you rather have Collison over Lin? Dirk over Patterson? we know you prefer Mayo over Lin...
i think it's earlier than that, he appeared on the cover of sports illustrated after just a month of his career, voted in All Star game in his rookie season , even Lebron (the best player in the league now) didn't make into All star in his rookie season. it's really silly to compare Harden to Jordan when he's not the best player now, not even the best SG
Look, even though both players have similar stats you can't just look at it and say that Mayo's the better value just because they have identical stats. Here are some reasons why: 1. Harden's physically better, he's at the high end of the SG spectrum and his around 10 pounds heavier. He's also two years younger than Mayo, so IMHO he's just got a lot more potential. Also, he's been more tested than Mayo, already experienced going deep into the playoffs and the Finals as well. 2. Greater body of work. For someone 2 years younger, Harden's also had 2-3 seasons of stellar play which shows he's not just a flash in the pan. While Harden's numbers are eye-popping, its not like it came out of nowhere, you extrapolate Harden's minutes and you account for more touches and you'll probably come up with similar averages if you base it on Harden's playing history. Mayo's numbers are stellar, however it's also his contract year, and he's been shooting absurdly high. I dunno if he could keep it up, and if he could he'd probably earn a lot more than what he's making now. 3. Better coaching staff. Let's face it, Dallas has the superior coaching team right now, Carlisle is one of the best X-Os guys in the league and he's embraced $ball as well. We oth have an old school motivational guy holding the clipboard. 4. More experienced team. Mayo's thriving because he's playing on a vet team, that squad has Dirk as its franchise guy and you have other vets like Brand and Matrix to keep the team stable. Our team is the youngest team in the L, and despite only being 23 years old Harden's already expected to carry the team. In short, I think Mayo's having it easier compared to Harden, if you exchanged the two of them it's possible Harden will blow up even more in Dallas while Mayo would have a lower average here. I don't really think it's a good comparison between the two and IMHO if you ask DM or Dallas if they'd rather have Harden at 20M for 5 or Mayo at 6M for 1 year I think both would say Harden.
nobody's coming to the rim this easy...not even LBJ...just wait until he get more respect from the referees....
Greater body of work? No. Mayo has dealt with a coach who has held him down nearly his entire career, and still managed 2 very solid years. In the short time he had with Iavaroni and Carlisle, he has lit it up. Harden has had one good year before this one. Harden has a WAY higher usage rate, and Mayo doesn't touch the ball nearly as much. Harden has the offense run through him, while Mayo is playing shockingly efficiently for a scorer who isn't getting the offense run through him. You can play it both ways, and you're only looking at the side Rockets fans want to see.
OJ Mayo is the superior player , and the more time goes by the more it becomes obvious. They matchup this weekend 1 v 1 . let's see what happens
I would still take Harden because of his ability to set up his teammates and make his teammates better
Despite his poor shooting, James Harden was still commanding attention at the end of the game. He stuck with it despite a poor turnover, and kept drawing fouls and getting to the line. Then he kept making the right passes. He's a superstar (or will definitely be)
Mayo cannot do what Harden did tonight. He had a horrendous shooting night, and I mean absolutely terrible. But he made A LOT of game winning plays tonight. The offensive rebound after a TD miss? The pass to Smith? The free throws late in the fourth? Tonight he showed why he deserves to be an all-star.
Yes yes you're right. The only reason Mayo isn't an all-world superstar is because the coaches held him down. There's no reason at all to think his 52.7% 3 point % will decrease, and therefore he'll hang on to a 20ppg average in the season. And as time goes on the coaches will realize that he is perhaps the best shooter on planet earth, and will run the offense through him, and then we'll all see that his playmaking skills are not only very good, but that they are sublime and all-world as well. If these damn coaches didn't keep holding the bloke back.
