What’s the argument for Wade > Harden?

[Docs Orders]

Stats? Harden

Longevity? Harden

MVPs? Harden

One man carry ability? Harden

30 point triple doubles? Harden

Scoring? Harden

[BigKAT]

Three championships and a FMVP.

But it's not as indisputable as people think.

Harden is an All-time player. And he's not done yet.
He also had more regular season success then wade in terms of RS wins as the man.

[FourthTenor]

I dont know if Harden is the kinda guy that would sabotage an MVP-BITW-GOAT teammate in the NBA Finals out of spite and jealousy, but I can say with factual certainty that he hasnt done it.

So that's at least something he's got on Wade.

[Axe]

Finals appearances?

Nba titles?

Fmvps?

All-nba team selections?

All-star game selections?

All-star game mvps?

[AlternativeAcc.]

Harden
Jordan
West
Kobe
Wade

in that order

[LAmbruh]

Harden
Jordan
West
Kobe
Wade

in that order

5* and upvote

[ImKobe]

Three championships and a FMVP.

But it's not as indisputable as people think.

Harden is an All-time player. And he's not done yet.
He also had more regular season success then wade in terms of RS wins as the man.

Wade had terrible rosters throughout his peak, but he also led a team to the Finals and was the best player in another one that a certain someone choked away. Also, prime Wade's defense was leagues above Harden's. Harden obviously is a better shooter, but the stats alone aren't good enough here. Gotta get it done in the Playoffs.

[Axe]

Harden being significantly better beyond the arc gave him a big advantage as a perennial scorer. So gotta give him credit for that.

[BigKAT]

Wade had terrible rosters throughout his peak, but he also led a team to the Finals and was the best player in another one that a certain someone choked away. Also, prime Wade's defense was leagues above Harden's. Harden obviously is a better shooter, but the stats alone aren't good enough here. Gotta get it done in the Playoffs.

You're not wrong.

But Harden is not just a better shooter. He's a better playmaker than D. Wade.

But like you said, Wade's Playoff Resume is much better then Harden's at this point.

[ImKobe]

You're not wrong.

But Harden is not just a better shooter. He's a better playmaker than D. Wade.

But like you said, Wade's Playoff Resume is much better then Harden's at this point.

Wade's a great playmaker as well, but obviously Harden's game is way more unlocked playing in the D'Antoni system. Imagine Wade on a team that plays at a high pace, his teams were among the slowest in the league, which certainly didn't help his stats.

[Bronbron23]

Stats? Harden

Longevity? Harden

MVPs? Harden

One man carry ability? Harden

30 point triple doubles? Harden

Scoring? Harden

Defense? Wade
Leadership? Wade
Decision making? Wade
One man carry ability to win? Wade
Eye test? Wade
Chips? Wade

[bobopenguin]

chance of getting STD, harden.

[Whoah10115]

Basketball.

[PeroAntic]

That he is a better basketball player.

[Wally450]

Defense? Wade
Leadership? Wade
Decision making? Wade
One man carry ability to win? Wade
Eye test? Wade
Chips? Wade

When has Wade done that?

Look at what Harden has done for the last 7 seasons.

[Bronbron23]

When has Wade done that?

Look at what Harden has done for the last 7 seasons.

2006?

[LAVAR BALL]

Harden can have the spot the day he owns 4 playoffs series like 2006 DWade did (and i'm not even a Wade fan)

[SouBeachTalents]

That everyone would take him over Harden in the playoffs

[Roundball_Rock]

That Wade was a better player. Harden has a shot at being the "greater" player, though (some may scoff at it but he easily could wind up being seen the way Dirk is), when it is all said and done but the difference between Wade's defense and Harden's>the difference between Harden's offense and Wade's.

Stats, accolades all favor Harden but this is a good example of limits of that. If you are drafting and both players are on the board, 90% of people will take Wade.

[Bronbron23]

That Wade was a better player. Harden has a shot at being the "greater" player, though (some may scoff at it but he easily could wind up being seen the way Dirk is), when it is all said and done but the difference between Wade's defense and Harden's>the difference between Harden's offense and Wade's.

Stats, accolades all favor Harden but this is a good example of limits of that. If you are drafting and both players are on the board, 90% of people will take Wade.

agreed. Good take

[HBK_Kliq_2]

Wade had the 2006 playoff run that was better then any Harden playoff run. Even 2011 Wade is better then just about every Harden run. Harden just lacks the playoff resume to Wade. Wade was way more deadly in playoffs because his slashing ability and mid range game. Carrying a team in reg season though its easily Harden. Harden has passed up Wade in regular season success but not playoff success.

[tontoz]

Wade was one of the best defensive guards in the game in addition to being very good offensively. However his prime was pretty short. He relied heavily on his athleticism taking it to the basket and was hurt a lot. That type of game doesn't age well.

As of now i would say Wade was better. However Harden is only 30 so he can change the narrative. He is elite offensively but a lot of people won't give him full credit because they dont like his style. Over the years his D has been weak although it seems like it has been better in the bubble.

[AirBonner]

Wade had an extremely short prime

[Lebron23]

Wade is the better player. it sucks he only had few healthy seasons.

[Lee]

Titles and Defense.

[HoopsNY]

Wade is hands down the better player. Harden has yet to prove himself in big moments and usually comes up short. His defense career-wise has also been a massive liability. So while, yes, he was the better scorer and probably the better passer, Wade makes up for it and more with everything else.

I might add that those who remember Wade circa 2005-2010 will remember him as being one of the best playmakers in the game. His assist numbers didn't show it, but he absolutely was one of the best players where it came to court vision and creating shots for his teammates.

[HylianNightmare]

Defense and rangz

[1987_Lakers]

Harden is a weird player to assess, on one hand he is probably the greatest scorer/playmaker we have ever seen from the SG spot, but on the other hand his defense was usually non existent, didn't provide much leadership, & his play usually declined in the postseason. With that said, he was a CP3 injury away from beating the most talented team in NBA history and winning a chip, the whole narrative of him as a player changes if he wins in 2018.

[SouBeachTalents]

Harden is a weird player to assess, on one hand he is probably the greatest scorer/playmaker we have ever seen from the SG spot, but on the other hand his defense was usually non existent, didn't provide much leadership, & his play usually declined in the postseason. With that said, he was a CP3 injury away from beating the most talented team in NBA history and winning a chip, the whole narrative of him as a player changes if he wins in 2018.
This is easily one of the biggest what-ifs in NBA history.

Players with two of the biggest choking reputations ever would've knocked off what was probably the most talented team ever assembled, while Durant ends up winning just one ring in Golden State. The Rockets win that title, and Harden wins FMVP he's legitimately in top 20 of all time convos, his resume would simply be too great not to be.

Seriously though, just the timing of that injury, literally JUST as they're about to take a 3-2 lead in the series, you really couldn't make that shit up :lol It's arguably the most poorly timed injury I've ever seen. Instead, CP3 gets hurt again, Harden and the Rockets have the infamous 27 straight 3 point misses, they get knocked off the next year even with KD missing the final 1.5 games of the series, and the two of them continue to have massive playoff disappointments since then.

[WhiteKyrie]

Defense matters. By far a superior competitor and defensive player than Harden.

Elevated playoff / Finals performance. Harden is known to disappear or play worse.

Wade’s 2009 is better than any Harden season. And he carried trash worse than Kobe or LeBron or Harden.

1) MJ
2) Kobe
3) West
4) D-Wade
5) Harden or Drexler

[Lee]

Harden is a weird player to assess, on one hand he is probably the greatest scorer/playmaker we have ever seen from the SG spot, but on the other hand his defense was usually non existent, didn't provide much leadership, & his play usually declined in the postseason. With that said, he was a CP3 injury away from beating the most talented team in NBA history and winning a chip, the whole narrative of him as a player changes if he wins in 2018.

Agreed on 2018.

[TheGoatest]

Current Harden, even though he is past his prime, is still better than the 15.9 ppg averaging Wade from the 2013 playoffs.

[TheMan]

Stats? Harden

Longevity? Harden

MVPs? Harden

One man carry ability? Harden

30 point triple doubles? Harden

Scoring? Harden

:roll:

Wade didn't have the tendency to choke in the postseason.

Wade > Harden

[WhiteKyrie]

Current Harden, even though he is past his prime, is still better than the 15.9 ppg averaging Wade from the 2013 playoffs.

Yea that was the year even once hobbled still won a game against the Spurs in the Finals on the road by himself. Before LeBron came back in and stat padded. Wade had the opposite Harden effect, he raised his game when the pressure mounted. That’s why Bronzey needed him.

[TheGoatest]

Yea that was the year even once hobbled still won a game against the Spurs in the Finals on the road by himself. Before LeBron came back in and stat padded. Wade had the opposite Harden effect, he raised his game when the pressure mounted. That’s why Bronzey needed him.

Out of his entire 15.9 ppg playoff run you tried to pick his very best game, and it's still a game where he scored fewer points than a LeBron. On a lower fg% too. :roll:

[GoSpursGo1984]

Not sure why people think Harden is a great passer/playmaker his playmaking consists of him dribbling at the top of the key driving and kicking out. Many guards in the NBA do that.

[WhiteKyrie]

Harden is a weird player to assess, on one hand he is probably the greatest scorer/playmaker we have ever seen from the SG spot, but on the other hand his defense was usually non existent, didn't provide much leadership, & his play usually declined in the postseason. With that said, he was a CP3 injury away from beating the most talented team in NBA history and winning a chip, the whole narrative of him as a player changes if he wins in 2018.
That’s more a testament to Chris Paul than it is James Harden, my dude.

No, a lot of James Harden’s points came off ref baiting. Not just getting buckets.

So that’s not quite accurate. Hell, just look at the past few seasons were they cut down on some of the foul calls and ref baiting, he wasn’t near as effective.

Best facilitator at the shooting position was Jerry West. Basically played like a combo guard at 6 foot 4. And he was a superior defender in his era at his position than James Harden as well.

Part of the reason James Harden could be viewed as a facilitator or could be considered one of the best scorer and facilitators at the position of all time, is how offenses are run now, particularly Houston. Which saw one player being totally insanely ball dominant on a nearly every possession to possession basis. It wasn’t winning basketball though.

[Phoenix]

Harden's video game numbers from 3-4 years ago fall off if they called the regular season like they do the playoffs. There's simply too much evidence that his game simply doesn't translate to that all-time tier when the refs aren't putting him on the line 12 times a night.

I agree with the comment above on 2009 Wade( 2007 too before the shoulder injury). That was the best 2-way season I've seen from the shooting guard spot since peak MJ. The years Kobe scored more came at the expense of his defense, and any years of comparable defense he wasn't dropping 30ppg/49%.

[outofstomach]

That’s more a testament to Chris Paul than it is James Harden, my dude.

No, a lot of James Harden’s points came off ref baiting. Not just getting buckets.

So that’s not quite accurate. Hell, just look at the past few seasons were they cut down on some of the foul calls and ref baiting, he wasn’t near as effective.

Best facilitator at the shooting position was Jerry West. Basically played like a combo guard at 6 foot 4. And he was a superior defender in his era at his position than James Harden as well.

Part of the reason James Harden could be viewed as a facilitator or could be considered one of the best scorer and facilitators at the position of all time, is how offenses are run now, particularly Houston. Which saw one player being totally insanely ball dominant on a nearly every possession to possession basis. It wasn’t winning basketball though.
you do realize if you subtract his free throw total for his 2018, he still led the league in scoring yeah? i could go dig for the source if you’d like, albeit i’d doubt you’d change your mind anyhow

and it is a testament to Harden, because when he finally had a viable second star on his team, he took the KD era warriors to 7 :lol that’s something essentially no one else can say, hate on his play style all you want but it really does speak for itself

[outofstomach]

Not sure why people think Harden is a great passer/playmaker his playmaking consists of him dribbling at the top of the key driving and kicking out. Many guards in the NBA do that.harden is a pretty gifted playmaker

[kawhileonard2]

Current Harden, even though he is past his prime, is still better than the 15.9 ppg averaging Wade from the 2013 playoffs.

That Wade in 2013 is better than 2011 Lebron.

[TheGoatest]

That Wade in 2013 is better than 2011 Lebron.

2022 Wade is better than 2020 game 7 Kawhit. :roll: