Which player was better? First, can we agree James' defensive effort was very good early on, then slipped further into the season? Maybe he was tired due to the offensive burden making it somewhat justifiable, but yes, it slipped and straight up wasn't good in the playoffs. Dwight advanced farther, but it was Eastern Conference. Props for knocking off LeBron though. Magic also didn't have Jameer Nelson for the postseason, who made his only All-Star appearance that year, so perhaps Dwight does have the playoff advantage. Harden 27.4 pts 5.7 rebs 7.0 asts 1.9 stls 0.7 blks 44.0 FG% 37.5 3PT% 86.8 FT% 26.7 PER .605 TS% 16.4 WS - led league 12.2 OWS Harden had an awesome year... arguably the greatest offensive season in franchise history. Dwight 20.6 pts 13.8 rebs - led league 1.4 asts - wow, that's possible 1.0 stls 2.9 blks - led league 57.2 FG% 59.4 FT% - not too shabby 25.4 PER .600 TS% 13.8 WS 7.6 DWS - led league Dwight won DPOY and became the 2nd (or 3rd) player in NBA to lead the league in both rebounds and blocks* in the same season. As far as intangibles such as leadership, both players are about equal. *blocks weren't an official stat until the mid 70's
Is everyone just mad at Harden right now Dwight is winning by a landslide. I really can't pick either player... might be "tied" or "don't know". Just realized ALL those guys except Redick are considered subpar defenders, yet Magic were #1 in defensive rating
Dude, Harden did not have the greatest offensive season in Rockets history last year Let's not disrespect Hakeem here for the sake of this 1-star thread, ok? Many consider Dwight our MVP of the playoffs last year. Give me '09 Dwight, one of the best 2-way players in the game.
Dwight was a beast on both ends back then, something Harden will never even come close to defensively. And he was much more reliable in the playoffs. Lawson Thornton Ariza Jones/D-MO 09 Dwight That starting five would be great if coached right and with everyone in shape, would much rather have this than one relying on Harden. Lawson feeding Dwight and then having guys like Thornton and Ariza with a ton of open looks would be really intriguing.
2015 Harden, quite comfortably, had a greater offensive season than anything Hakeem ever did. Moses had some comparable seasons offensively, but Harden still has the edge here.
It is not even close. 94 Hakeem: 27.3 ppg, 3.6 apg, 3.4 turnovers on 29.8% Usage TS%: 56.5% Offensive Win Shares: 6.4 Offensive Base +/-: +2.2 Offensive Rating: 109 15 Harden 27.4 ppg, 7.0 apg, 4.0 turnovers on 31.3% Usage TS%: 60.5% Offensive Win Shares: 12.2 Offensive Base +/-: +7.4 Offensive Rating: 118
Playoffs: Again, not close. 94 Hakeem: 28.9 ppg, 4.3 apg, 3.6 turnovers on 31.4% Usage TS%: 56.8% Offensive Win Shares: 2.3 Offensive Base +/-: +3.3 Offensive Rating: 109 15 Harden 27.2 ppg, 7.5 apg, 4.5 turnovers on 29.5% Usage TS%: 62% Offensive Win Shares: 2.3 Offensive Base +/-: +5.8 Offensive Rating: 117
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fsr-Wm_E5Qc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> Context? Never heard of that. Really comfortable bench for the greatest offensive player of all time in this franchise.
