Why? Because I don’t think you can find many, if any at all. Outside of this pro Rockets board I don’t see others sharing your opinion.
Except at least half of them aren't as good as Harden. From Karl Malone on the only person I think who is arguably better is Durant. Jason Kidd? Really?
I know this is opinion but I can easily make a case he is better than these 9 guys. Kidd Drexler KG Dirk Wade Karl Malone Dr J Big O Zeke West He is definitely better than Drexler Dr J Dirk Kidd KG Kobe
Agree with everything, except Kobe. Harden is the greatest offensive player of all time. He has re-defined the game of basketball. Most every team's top guards have tried mirroring his play.
Folks where not wondering if he was a good as Jordan just stop that. Why would nobody take Harden over peak Wade what did Wade do that was so much better?
Why is Kobe better? The only thing he has done better is defense but Harden does every other thing better.
Yes, some were. Drexler got to the Finals first (90), conf Finals in 91 and finished 2nd to Jordan in MVP voting in 92, when they met in the Finals. It’s one of the reasons Jordan wanted to destroy him. Folks wondered if Robinson was better than Dream as well, before a 1995 playoff series. Not shrink in the clutch. Not quit. Play defense. How many top 50 lists outside of this Rockets board have you found that have Harden ahead of those players?
I watched the NBA during that time and it was a throwaway comparison at most and was only during that year. If you are basing it on that, Harden is still the better player and is mentioned with all time greats as well. Hell Harold Minor was also compared to Jordan as well at one time. Robinson actually had the stats and accomplishments to have that comparison. We all know people hate Harden and his game so why would I take those list as gospel?
Out of that list I don't agree with Kobe and Dirk in the "easily" column. You can make an argument and it's debatable. But it isn't "easily".
Again, Drexler would never sniff the finals if a team like the GSWs were in the way. You have to utilize context. Why even bring up MVP voting shares? Harden absolutely ***** on Drexler by like a signficant margin in that category consistently being top 5 year in and year out and he has someone like Jordan(Lebron) competing with him for the MVP race. Drexler one year was a near shot at winning the MVP. Harden was like 6 times. And in the playoffs where Drexler was the best player on his team in the two seasons with the deepest runs he average 21 ppg and 26 ppg on signficantly lower effiency even adjusted for era than Harden. If Harden averaged those numbers in the playoffs he would be scrutinized by me signficantly more. Harden on a bad night in the playoffs scores 25 pts.
I watched the NBA during that time as well, and that talk had been lingering since the 90 season. He's not mentioned above any of those players, and when this is noted the typical response is: Drexler also had the stats. As far as accomplishments, the only ones Robinson had were the media voted awards.
Harden lost to Portland with more talent, and a Spurs team with their two best players in suits. He also lost to GS without Durant, twice. Harden isn't sniffing an MVP award in any year Drexler played. Again I ask, where are you seeing folks putting Harden above these players (sites/links/anything from this non biased Rockets board)?
You understand how silly your first paragraph is. Break down the actual logic. Did Drexler also have bad one and done years in the playoffs also? Yes. So in Drexler's best year in his prime he did carry his team to the Finals but against signficantly weaker competition in the WCF than Harden. Harden also had some poor playoff showings. But in his best years he heavily outplayed Drexler's production and effiency but the Rockets faced an all time stacked team that many consider "the most talented team of all time". People with reasonable arguments can claim peak KD, Curry Warriors was a more elite team than peak Jordan/Pippen Bulls and Harden and CP3 who wasn't in his prime took that team to 7 which I doubt those Blazers teams could do. I'm not going to hunt down random articles. If you want to go to a neutral place post a question on r/nba on reddit and I guarantee you that the vast majority would pick Harden over Drexler. Why isn't Harden sniffing any MVP award during Drexler's prime? Explain please. Are you going to do some "old man yelling at the sky" routine claiming that Lebron, Curry, KD, Gainnis, Kawhi, CP3 etc are not as good as Jordan, Barkley, Dream, Malone era? If you can't acknowledge that Drexler never faced anyone close to elite as the peak GSWs in the conference series before the finals at least, you are too irrational to have s debate with.
It's not silly at all. You keep mentioning the almighty GS team as if that's the only team that was knocking Harden out of the playoffs. He has gone ghost vs others as well. Drexler did not play significantly weaker competition than every team that has knocked Harden out of the playoffs as a Rocket. Only one of those guys is. Possibly two with Durant. Harden faced that peak GS team twice. Dame sent him home. The Spurs sent him home with their best players in suits.
