Video: Is James Harden having the best scoring season ever?

[Marchesk]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhKgmJC6myM

Pretty good video going into the analytics and style of play of best scoring seasons with some advanced stats this guy has come up with (Harden's estimated scoring value is #7 all-time this season).

Conclusion: Harden has the best points per 75 possessions in history so far this season, but he needs to be able to do it in the playoffs at the same level he's been on last 20 plus games for it to be considered best ever.

[kennethgriffen]

its just his usage/volume thats the greatest

he uses a per 75 team possessions metric

so he actually tries convincing people that scoring 36ppg in 37mpg is better than scoring 50ppg+ and playing 48.5mpg ( every single second of regulation and overtime )


yeah... lets see harden play every single minute and score at the rate he does




plus wilt had to be his teams top defensive player and rebounder while putting up 50 and playing every minute.


no comparison

[Odinn]

Short answer; No.
Long answer; Nope.

[Mr.GOAT2408]

Not even the best scoring season this decade, let alone all-time

[Marchesk]

Not even the best scoring season this decade

That depends on whether you value Curry's efficiency more than Harden's volume, which was brought up as a philosophical difference toward the end of the video.

You could argue that Curry's efficiency is more important to team success, but the topic is about best scoring season and not team success. Also, it matters who your teammates are, and what kind of offensive load you are expected to carry.

[Gileraracer]

He's shooting .438 / .367

so no.

[Odinn]

Noone will respect enough to put Harden in there.

He expects to get away with this, because he usually does.
https://streamable.com/h0soo

He's always like this.
https://streamable.com/m2o0m

He got a call for this.
https://streamable.com/vh1v1

This is an offensive foul, he steps on the defender's foot. Gets a triple to the line.
https://streamable.com/gf72b


And those are just past week. Noone actually watching will credit enough to claim he's up there. He's not better than Curry, Kobe and Mike. And even arguably than Durant. KD averaged 35 over 42 games in 2013-14 (not far off from Harden's 36 over 47 games) and he was more efficient.

[Marchesk]

He's always like this.
https://streamable.com/m2o0m[/url]

I don't understand how the refs don't call an offensive foul on that one. Sometimes I don't get NBA refs.

I wish the NBA would let defenders defend a little bit more and not just gift the offensive players everything. We have enough offense nowadays.

[Phoenix]

That depends on whether you value Curry's efficiency more than Harden's volume, which was brought up as a philosophical difference toward the end of the video.

You could argue that Curry's efficiency is more important to team success, but the topic is about best scoring season and not team success. Also, it matters who your teammates are, and what kind of offensive load you are expected to carry.

I not only value his efficiency, but I also value the demoralizing effect he had on opponents which isn't a stat to measure. You merely watched and saw what was happening on court. Curry was blowing out teams by the third quarter that year, so very rarely was he in a situation like Harden where he needs to actually score that much. And he commanded such gravity and spaced out the court like no-one before him. Harden is literally on an island, scoring unassisted largely which is the complete antithesis of team basketball. Curry was able to score in ways that simply killed the spirit of teams, you just couldn't do anything with a guy with those handles who can pop with 30 foot range AND efficient volume, who can come off screens and get off a shot in a split second, and whose presence made the lives of Klay and Dray even easier.

[Bronbron23]

Hell no. His usage, Dantoni's system and defensive rules inflate his stats.

You should also change the title to best regularly season. Season means playoffs also and we all know he's gonna decline in the playoffs.

[Keno]

He's shooting .438 / .367

so no.

Kobe stan has the audacity to talk about shooting percentages.

[Marchesk]

You should also change the title to best regularly season. Season means playoffs also and we all know he's gonna decline in the playoffs.

It's the title of the video I linked to, and the playoffs was brought up in the video. But yeah, Harden would have to keep it up in the playoffs.

[Phoenix]

We forget quickly. Steph was putting up 33 on 70% TS to start the year, above his 2016 level. His numbers settled back down to earth( by those standards) once he got injured which is always the big issue with him, being able to sustain that kind of burden without breaking down. But I'd take 33ppg on 70%TS, with Kevin Durant putting up 28ppg on his own, any day of the week.

[Phoenix]

It's the title of the video I linked to, and the playoffs was brought up in the video. But yeah, Harden would have to keep it up in the playoffs.

I don't see how he does. The refs pocket the whistle far more in the playoffs which we've seen impacts his game annually at that time. Also, he's not getting easy points. Alot of isoing, shooting 13 3's so that's alot of usage on the legs, as is driving to the rim. It's easy 3's, or layups, no 'easy' points working in the midrange or in the post. MJ could get into the post and basically 'rest' on offense, so would Kobe when he developed that part of his game, so can Durant when he gets down there or works in the midrange. Ditto for someone like Kawhi... Harden's offense is designed to burn very bright and burn out in the end. If he plays anything like this in the playoffs, it will be the first time he's been able to match his regular season performance.

[Marchesk]

We forget quickly. But I'd take 33ppg on 70%TS, with Kevin Durant putting up 28ppg on his own, any day of the week.

Sure, but the defense can't exactly focus all it's efforts on Curry when you have a Durant in addition to the second best three point shooter of all-time, who's known for going off and getting 30 in a quarter or 60 in a game every so often.

Harden gets the full attention of a defense, even though he benefits from the whistles.