In the regular season I believe Harden is the better scorer. MJ has never played in this era so we'll never know but I still think Harden's efficiency is on another level esp when Cp3, EG and Capela all went down. Perhaps this is what Morey is talking about, just on offensive prowess in the regular season Harden was better than MJ. However in the playoffs (where it matters) this shouldnt be a discussion obv MJ stomps over Harden and ever other guard in the league since the inception of the NBA.
One posession to score a bucket means you are talking about being clutch not really who is the better scorer. Big Shot Rob is obv the guy you want taking that one posession that doesnt mean he is one of the best scorers in NBA history. A better scorer IMO is a measure of both quantity and efficiency. The NBA today is a lot more athletic and competitive than the 80s due to technology and globalization, while it is easier to score buckets due to lack of handchecks you are also required to be better shooters and to be insanely athletic than the 80s/90s, guys like Adam Morrison and Jimmy Fredette might have been superstars in the 80s just cuz everybody wasnt insanely athletic then. As such I can srgue Harden has both quantity and efficiency than MJ in the regular season, he is more efficient with bigger volume vs better competition. However in the playoffs since Harden's efficiency plumetts to average levels then obv MJ is better in the playoffs.
Wilt says to Michael at a dinner, "Just remember (Michael), when you played, they changed the rules to make it easier for you to dominate...when I played, they changed the rules to make it harder for me." Have they changed the rules for Harden to make it harder on him? Yup. The league propped up MJ... they ain't proppin' Harden up. Harden's busting through the gate.
That’s nice without context, but those rule changes made a lot of sense. Pistons defense was just ridiculous, literally beating MJ up. You think Harden could take that? Would you want to see that kind of basketball again?
If the thread is about scoring only (going with Morey’s comments recently) Harden. If we are talking about all around player....then yes Jordan because he was a 3-way player if you add fast break skill offensively/defensively. But Arenas was right. He mentioned the difference between today’s defense and in the 90’s was, “They just hacked players they couldn’t contain.” https://clutchpoints.com/nba-news-g...aying-they-could-stop-anybody-in-todays-game/ Harden is built for physicality and would have killed it back then (offensively) as defenders were required to stay in the vicinity of their man......Harden is killing it right now with team cheating and getting away with a 3-second count almost every play as it is. Forget about the other players cheating off their man playing half way between their man andHarden.
I ain't never saw MJ with a clenched culo coming across the time-line with the clock winding down like we see JH13 almost every clutch moment in crunch time.
Other than 3p shooting, is there anything else that Harden do better than MJ? Harden is great, but MJ is GOAT.
Just because you are the GOAT doesnt mean you are perfect lol. You will still have strengths and weaknesses just like every other person in the case of MJ he rose to prominence when you people were kids/teens so when you grew up he became a caricature like his character in Space Jam instead of an actual human being. Just look at freaking Jump Man brand everyone goes gaga over it when in reality even GLeague scrubs do MJ dunks nowadays. The whole brand makes 0 sense I can understand if MJ had his own sneaker line just like every athlete but why does his brand sign other athletes when everything in Jumpman from design, materials and tech comes from Nike? There is no diff if Zion signs with Nike vs he signs with Jump Man its just that the hype for MJ's greatness is so high having his dunk logo on the same ******* shoe is supposed to make it better.
I have no problem saying Harden is the more proficient shooter from 3 and alot of his points come from volume jacking from deeper range than it was known back in the 90s. However, I have a problem with Harden walking it down the court sometimes, or standing by as CP3 is initiating Offense. IMO giving a shet at all times is really integral. Jordan's clutch shots came in the Finals that most of us remember, I mean, Harden hasn't been able to be there, call it bad luck, or what you will, it is what it is. That is a big part that has been missing with JH, that experience in the Finals. (He made them Once, long time ago.)
Dwight “Mr. Efficiency” Howard is 58% FG for his career. Or wait.... what does efficiency mean again? Oh..... FG% and efficiency aren’t the same thing? Do you work for ESPN or FS1 morning shows? They have trouble with this concept as well.
Agreed on all counts but one - I have no problem with a coach or GM loudly backing his players, even when it gets absurd sometimes. It's good for the team that Harden knows Morey's got his back publicly.