Drexler took Blazers to the Finals twice. Also the rules were different. As a Rocket, yes, Harden is in his prime. Definitely a better shooter than Clyde.
I'm guessing that the voting differential is pretty close to the age differential (between those that were watching Clyde in his prime and those younger...) on this site... jus sayin...
Shaq was saying this on TNT when he was talking about Draymon Green comments about Barkley. Draymon watched KG but didn't watch Barkley play. But KG watched Barkley so KG knew how good Barkley really was.
When you pull up Harden's page on BBall ref, Clyde is actually listed as one of the similarity scores
lol and you'd have a tough time finding 5-10 regular posters on this site who have more of a negative bias against Harden than yourself...jus sayin
Tinman do me a favor, and post the photo of Clyde playing defense against Jordan in the sports illustrated issue that showed Houston's championship. That might help your argument for now
That's not the picture I'm looking for. Nice job though. I want the one where Clyde is stripping Jordan going the other way
I watched Clyde play. I've watched James play. Both are all-time greats, and I love them both. However, Clyde is who I'd build my team around. When he put his head down, there was no stopping him. He was pure entertainment.
Clyde started in the league as a point guard, I believe. I think he mentions it in the documentary about Dražen Petrović. I could certainly be wrong, but I think I've heard him say that.
I give Harden the nod because of how he elevates the play of his teammates. Drex did too, but not at the same level. Drex played with Terry Porter and Porter could really play. Cliff Robinson, Jerome Kersey... they had a squad. Also, Harden is a far far more efficient scorer. I've seen Harden score 10 points like it was nothing so many times with that dangerous 3-ball. Drex was .318 from downtown for his career. In Clyde's best year he put up 21.4 attempts per game. Harden put up 18.9 shots a game this year and scored more than Drexler did that season. As much as Clyde was a beast, Harden is smooth as glass. He can beat you however. Either way, two fantastic players.
If you're going to go there... I'd LIKE to say you'd have a tough time finding 5-10 regular posters on this site who have more of a blind devotion and refusal to acknowledge any shortcomings on harden's part, than yourself... but the homerism on the board can get pretty thick... so we'll just say you're in the running... and btw... if you care to check... you will see that my complaints regarding Harden have fallen dramatically this season (over the **** show that was last year...) All last year I got crap from posters like you who kept saying that 'Harden was phenomenal and what more could I expect than what he was doing...stat stat stat... blah blah blah...' Well... the simple answer is THIS YEAR! He's sharing the ball and not relying on hero ball, he seems more focused without the outside distractions and has overall raised his game to a higher level! For which, I give him props! All those that kept saying he was the goat LAST YEAR and that to expect anything more (like defense) was totally unreasonable.... gotta feel foolish at this point... jus sayin...
It is hard to compare players from different era's. When you compare players, there is no way to know which player is better unless they go up against each other. On top of that, you have different rules that have changed how the game is played. For example, Steph Curry is one of the top players in the NBA today. There is no way that Steph Curry would be the player he is today if he played during the 80's and 90's when hand checks were allowed and the NBA was much, much more physical. Guys like Gary Payton, Joe Dumars, Michael Jordan, Isiah Thomas, John Stockton, and John Starks. You also had guys like Anthony Mason, Charles Oakley, Karl Malone, Kevin Willis, Otis Thorpe, Bill Laimbeer and Dennis Rodman to protect the paint and only the stronger and more physical guys really drove to the hoop for a layup or a dunk. I started following the Rockets after the 85-86 season so I have the good fortune of having watched both Clyde and James in their prime. While some players like Steph Curry would have struggled in the NBA of the 80's and 90's, I think that Clyde would be an all star in today's NBA and James would have been an all-star in the NBA of the 80's and 90's. However, I would have to go with Drexler over Harden. I think most people that have had the good fortune to watch both players would agree. Here is the reason why. Drexler just had the total package. 1.) Drexler was incredibly strong and athletic. A lot of guys lose athleticism as they get stronger. 2.) Drexler could play 3 1/2 positions. Point Guard, Shooting Guard, Small Forward and could also play spot minutes at power forward due to his length and ability to post up. 3.) Drexler was a better natural rebounder and probably the best rebounder in the history of the NBA for a shooting guard. 4.) Drexler was an incredible passer. He averaged 5.4 assists for his career as a shooting guard and small forward. Drexler only played point guard in his third season in the NBA when he was with Portland. 5.) Drexler is still effective without the ball. Harden needs the ball in his hands to be effective. This is why the Rockets have a defense oriented point guard in Patrick Beverley. 6.) After Dr. J., Drexler is probably the best open court player in the history of the NBA. James Harden is good, but if you had Drexler in the open court, he was going to take it in for a dunk. 7.) The elevation. There is a reason that Drexler was called "The Glide." Drexler's dunks were always highlight real worthy. Drexler had the strength, speed and elevation to take the rock to the hoop. With the elevation that Drexler had, those dunks were just amazing since he just towered over everyone. You don't see Harden taking it to the hoop nearly as often as you did with Drexler and it was a lot harder to take the rock to the hoop for a dunk in the era Drexler played. Since Drexler was really a small forward, it would be better to compare Drexler to Scotty Pippen, James Worthy, Kevin Durant or Lebron James. and Since Harden is more of a natural shooting guard /point guard, it would be better to compare him to a point guard that had a scorers mentality. A few examples include Isiah Thomas (Pistons), Gary Payton, Michael Jordan, Chris Paul, Steve Nash, Kobe Bryant or Dewane Wade. Don't get me wrong. Harden is an awesome player and one of the best players in the NBA today. Harden will also go down as an all time great, but Drexler was the better player, as well as the player that was more fun to watch.
Harden could get there, but he needs to play at this level for a few more years. The other thing is that their games were defined by different qualities. Drexler was just so smooth, like a professional choreographed dancer who every move seems to flow together, a la his nickname the Glyde. Harden is defined by his deceptiveness combined with his strength. It is like comparing a cheetah to a mountain lion. Both are deadly, but each has a different style of beauty to their game.
I forgot to mention this, and this is what seals the deal for me. Although, neither Drexler or Harden were particulary good defenders, Drexler was a much better defensive player. Drexler was often called upon to guard three different positions: Point Guard, Shooting Guard and Small Forward. He could also guard another teams power forward for small minutes at a time.
