Tmac this and tmac that......he is retired but beloved by his fans for his sensational career that rose high but fell flat without a legit playoff appearance Or is it the beard and his old man game......a super sub who rose from being a 3rd fiddle to becoming the man surprising all except himself and a stat geek turned GM ....who do u love Houston? .....
That's like asking gsw who do they like better curry or ellis. Who do you think people are going to pick?
T-Mac was the reason I became a Rockets fan. His game was so smooth, he could literally do anything on the court and he was so much fun to watch. I hated the way he was trashed by Orlando's GM and I followed him to Houston. I quickly became a ROF and soured on T-Mac a bit like many Rockets fans but he's still my favorite Rocket since I've been a full-fledged fan... until now. James Harden's game isn't as flashy as T-Mac's was but it is MUCH more effective. I LOVE Harden because I understand the game of basketball so much better than I did back then. T-Mac would pull up with that pretty jumper rising up over his defender (which is a low percentage shot), While James would rather drive to the hole and get that contact (putting the other team in foul trouble helps everyone). T-Mac was the better passer (just phenomenal for his size), but both are willing and able. T-Mac was also the better defender (when dedicated it's not close) and rebounder due to his length and athleticism, but James is the superior shooter and ball-handler. Now here's the big difference I see between the two and why James has usurped McGrady in my book: Harden is far and away the better leader. McGrady used his talent to make others around him better, but James does that and also makes others better by pushing his teammates, being vocal, hanging out off the court, having an insane work ethic and leading by example. He does all this while playing with another superstar and sharing the team (as opposed to Kobe). It's the "intangibles" that give Harden the edge and makes him my favorite Rocket probably ever (I also really liked K-Mart and Artest).
Not hating on Harden, but T-Mac wins this easily as his brand of basketball was much more fun to watch for me. Its hard not to cringe a little when Harden has the ball with < 1min left in a game and tries to run into someone to draw a whistle in hopes of winning the game at the free throw line. T-Mac was just a boss when he was healthy.
Good post. One major thing Harden and TMac both share (so far) is the lack of clutch gene. James has showed a little, but his flops are adding. He's young and can improve in that area.
