In this blog, we will take a look at the two biggest names in basketball today: James Harden and LeBron James. We will compare and contrast their playing styles, analyze their strengths and weaknesses, and see who comes out on top in this matchup of titans.
James Harden Vs Lebron James
The Eye Test
A comparison of per-game averages shows that Harden leads James in points per game (30.7 to 27.4) by over 10 percent, and in season totals Harden has made nearly double the three-pointers and sunk over 200 more free throws while playing in nine fewer games. While James has a slight edge in assists per game, and he is the far better rebounder (no surprise there), Harden’s production of historic offensive numbers this season cannot be overshadowed.
Winner: Harden
Advanced Statistics
For players who have the ball in their hands the majority of the time, Player Impact Estimate (
PIE) can be a useful metric. Simply put, PIE tells us how well a player stuffs the stat sheet while they’re on the court relative to the other participants. Aside from a two-game outlier by the Memphis Grizzlies’ MarShon Brooks, Harden leads the league in Player Impact Estimate at an impressive 19.5 (percentages above 20 are rare). King James is second at 19.1.
Harden also holds a significant edge in both offensive rating (115.0 vs.112.2) and defensive rating (105.0 vs.111.1). Although LBJ holds a slight lead over Harden in Value Over Replacement Player (VORP) at 8.6 to 8.1 (top-two in the league), that’s not enough to tip the scales in his favor.
Winner: Harden
Intangibles
No one can deny how important LeBron James is to his team’s success. But what makes this campaign different is that he required a mid-season revamp to produce a squad that is capable of winning consistently. While the initial roster might’ve had poor chemistry, James has shown the ability in the past to carry teams to the NBA Finals that had no business advancing in the post-season without his presence.
Meanwhile, James Harden is enjoying a career year in a “Beard-friendly” offense that allows him to chuck threes at will while continuing to draw fouls in the paint. There was no question that Russell Westbrook was deserving of last season’s MVP award, but with Harden finishing second there could be sentiment among voters that his time has come.
Winner: Harden
NBA Championships and Seasons
|
James Harden |
LeBron James |
| NBA Championships |
0 |
4 |
| NBA Seasons |
13 |
19 |
| Playoffs Played |
13 |
15 |
| All-Star Games |
10 |
18 |
Honors and Awards
|
James Harden |
LeBron James |
| Season MVP |
1 |
4 |
| Finals MVP |
0 |
4 |
| All-NBA First Team |
6 |
13 |
| All-NBA Teams (Total Selections) |
7 |
18 |
| All-Defensive 1st Team |
0 |
5 |
| All-Defensive Teams (Total Selections) |
0 |
6 |
| Scoring Leader |
3 |
1 |
| Assists Leader |
1 |
1 |
| Rookie of The Year |
0 |
1 |
NBA Regular Season Stats
Stats Per Game
|
James Harden |
LeBron James |
| Points Per Game |
24.9 |
27.1 |
| Rebounds Per Game |
5.6 |
7.5 |
| Assists Per Game |
6.8 |
7.4 |
| Steals Per Game |
1.5 |
1.6 |
| Blocks Per Game |
0.5 |
0.8 |
Totals Stats
|
James Harden |
LeBron James |
| Total Points |
23,477 |
37,06 |
| Total Rebounds |
5,294 |
10,210 |
| Total Assists |
6,397 |
10,045 |
| Total Steals |
1,449 |
2,136 |
| Total Blocks |
512 |
1,041 |
| Total Games |
942 |
1,366 |
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FAQs
Is James Harden the best scorer of all time?
It's time to admit that James Harden is the NBA's best scorer since Michael Jordan. On Saturday night, Harden dropped 60 points on the Atlanta Hawks in less than three quarters of play. It was another virtuoso performance by the world's greatest offensive basketball player.
Is Harden better than Curry?
Skip Bayless on FS1's Undisputed says that James Harden is better than Steph Curry. Steph Curry is a three-time NBA Champion and two-time MVP. Yet, Skip Bayless of Undisputed on FS1 says that James Harden is the better all-time player.
Why did James Harden win MVP?
Harden was named MVP in 2018 when he led the league in scoring (30.4 ). This season Harden is averaging 25.3 points, 7.9 rebounds and a league-best 11.2 assists per game. “I just try to go out there every single night and give my teammates everything that I can bring to the game,” Harden said
Conclusion
In conclusion, we can say that both James Harden and LeBron James are great players with their own unique skillsets. While Harden may be the better scorer, LeBron is the more well-rounded player and arguably the better leader.
