Would Ginobili have been better than Harden if he left the Spurs and been #1 option?

He doesn't have to "put up numbers", he's too busy putting up 50 win seasons, and going for a 4th Championship on the best team in the West.

He's too busy "putting up" ridiculous playoff performances together to already add to what will be his shrine in the Hall of Fame.

Look up tapes of Manu's playoff performances in 2004, 2005, 2007, 08. 09. Then go look up Argentina's Olympic run in 2004 before you reply to this thread again.

It's like the fans here have never seen a basketball game outside of Houston. Wow. Cannot even believe this topic is even being debated. These fans saying Manu isn't the better player would be the laughing stock of every other NBA forum.

 

One has rings, one has stats. Let's compare when they're retired and see who took the better path.

 

Neither have ever won any finals MVP's.

Keep talking up his rings though like he was the main reason they got there.

 

Manu could have gone down as one of the greatest floppers of all time if he left the Spurs.

Then people wouldn't overlook it because of the greatness of Popovich and Duncan.

 

He almost won Finals MVP in 2005. I think he was only like 2 votes away. A strong case could be made that he deserved it.

 

While I'm at it, screw Bruce Bowen. Still hate that guy all these years later.

Oh - but it was the Spurs.

Body checking? Flopping? Diving? Kneeing? Kicking? These things can even be penalties in hockey. But when the Spurs did it 2003-2007 - "they're just well-coached." "They just out execute you." "You have to give it up to a class organization like the Spurs."

Alright, continue with whatever we're talking about.

 

Would Parker have been better than Lin if he left the Spurs and been #1 option?
Would Popavich have been better than McHale if he left the Spurs and been #1 option?
Would Duncan have been better thanAsik if he left the Spurs and been #1 option?

 

I don't see what any of this has to do with the original question. Giniboli is a great basketball player, obviously I've see him play fantastic in a lot of games. The question is if he left the Spurs, would he be better than Harden is right now (in his first year as a #1 option no less). And I say no. He has more career accomplishments than Harden, due to playing with possibly the best PF to ever play the game and one of the best coaches ever in Popovich. Harden is only in his 4th year, and his first year OKC was a borderline playoff team. The Spurs were contenders Ginobili's first year.

 

He's the 3rd best player on those teams to so it's not like he's doing it by himself.

 

He was awesome in 2005 playoffs. Reason why the Spurs won. He was a superstar.

 

Agree with the above. He's been awesome in pretty much every playoff series he's been in.

 

This is such a horrible comparison.

The time you are comparing Ginobili to Harden he was 24-27 years old. He had played for Argentina's national team and had a lot of experience, he was very close to peaking by his third year.

Harden is 20-23 years old. He hasn't come close to his peak imo.

Harden is a stronger, more durable version of Gino.

Gino could've been a #1 option skill wise, but if he had to consistently play 38 minutes/game, he'd have broken down every single year. The reason why he was so good in SA was because Pop controlled the minutes very well, and kept him healthy.

Check back when Harden is 27 and see who you'd rather have @ 27 years old. I think Harden will be a top 5 player in the league, HOPEFULLY top 3, which Gino never would've been.

 

they're actually similar players with Harden even making the comparison himself. however, Harden can get to the line way more than Ginobili, while Ginobili doesn't need the ball as much, moving much better without the ball. Ginobili also doesn't play with a very trigger happy ball hogging SG disguised as a PG (Westbrook). also, Duncan, while a very good scorer was not an automatic first option like Durant and certainly not now, so Ginobili has way more scoring opportunities now than Harden ever did in OKC. so Ginobili wouldn't improve his numbers much outside of SA and one could argue their system actually optimizes Ginobili's production.

 

Ginobli is a great player, but no where near on the level of harden. we would be doing terrible right now if we didnt have harden.

 

You saying Monta Ellis is on the level of James Harden would make you the laughing stock of every other NBA forum.

 

Harden is also a better shooter than Gino was in the early parts of his career.

 

LOL

 

He singlehandedly won an olympic gold and bronze medal, and a silver world championship medal while reaching two more medal games. Argentina before him? Did't qualify to the olympics in 2000, hadn't won anything in 50 years.

He has been a first option. And killed everyone on his path. He's been part of the fiba all tournament every time from 2002 to 2012 (Except 2010, he didn't play), with MVP honors in 2004. Best Fiba SG of all time

Plus, he came into the league late. He wasted his early years and start of his prime being the best player in Europe for 3 years and then getting used to the NBA. He was already 27 in his 3rd year.

And people forget he was the Spurs best player from 2008 to 2011 (including the '07 finals), getting injured every playoff appearance (lol), untill 2012 when he got injured (again) early in the season and Parker took over.

Could he have put Harden's numbers? Yes, he could. His stats show he could. While playing better defense.

Harden is still great. Playing like this he's on his path to the Hall of Fame. Ginobili was a living Hall of Famer playing

 

Can't answer until it happens. But I doubt it. He's not athletic enough to escape double teams and do separations.

Definitely would have love to see what he could have done though. He was a better 6th man than Harden for sure though.