James Harden vs Paul George

This topic contains 38 replies, has 14 voices, and was last updated by Hale 10 years, 5 months ago.

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Posted on: Mon, 11/04/2013 - 7:22pm #52534

IndianaBasketball
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There was a thread on here recently asking which duo was better… Paul George and Lance Stephenson or James Harden and Chandler Parsons. That got me thinking solely about who was better between Paul George and James Harden.
Who would you take right now and why?
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Posted on: Mon, 11/04/2013 - 7:43pm #847477

Tongue-Out-Like-23
Participant
Let’s start off by stating their pros:
James Harden: Excellent ball-handler, above average facilitator, top-notch shooter, great slasher, gets to the foul line and converts, can get his own shot.
Paul George: Great defender/2 way player, improved his jumper into a scary shot, good ball-handler for size, good facilitator, can create his own shot, attacks the boards
Now their cons:
James Harden: Gets flustered with double teams, average defender, at 6’5, does he have any more potential other than scoring?
Paul George: Can he consistently average 25 a game on good %s? consistent killer instinct?
To be honest, you can’t go wrong with either, they are the future of the league and the future is now. Both players are top-3 in their position right now and George would be the best SF in 5 years if it wasn’t for Durant and LeBron.
Bias aside, I would go with Harden RIGHT NOW, simply because his offense is more advanced than PGs. Paul George seems to have some games where he’ll take 20 shots and be unstoppable and the following night will only take 7 shots and the Pacers struggle whereas Harden seems to always have a good scoring game. Even if his % is poor, he’ll get to the line and take 8-12 free throws a game.
In 5 years though, I think I’d take PG based on his potential. At 6’10, this guy can easily play 3 different positions and is improving his passing as the years go by. He can easily play 4 positions in 5 years. Not to mention, he is quickly becoming one of the premier wing defenders in this league. He’s a terrific 2-way player whereas Harden’s defensive potential is limited, or at least no where near PGs.
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- Posted on: Mon, 11/04/2013 - 10:06pm #847499
  
  Sharp Shooter
  Participant
  good insight
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- Posted on: Mon, 11/04/2013 - 10:06pm #847608
  
  Sharp Shooter
  Participant
  good insight
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- Posted on: Tue, 11/05/2013 - 9:23am #847710
  
  Siggy
  Participant
  Calling Harden an average defender is being extremely generous. He is a really bad defender, a liability even on that end of the floor. Some guys are poor defenders because they lack the awareness or they’re over-aggressive. Harden is the worst kind of bad defender because not only can he be spacey but his effort is poor.
  If PG can be a low 20s scorer, even if Harden maintains his scoring at mid 20s, I’d take PG because of his defense.
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- Posted on: Tue, 11/05/2013 - 9:23am #847601
  
  Siggy
  Participant
  Calling Harden an average defender is being extremely generous. He is a really bad defender, a liability even on that end of the floor. Some guys are poor defenders because they lack the awareness or they’re over-aggressive. Harden is the worst kind of bad defender because not only can he be spacey but his effort is poor.
  If PG can be a low 20s scorer, even if Harden maintains his scoring at mid 20s, I’d take PG because of his defense.
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  - Posted on: Tue, 11/05/2013 - 10:03am #847724
    
    mavsatx
    Participant
    definitely. harden just let jj reddick blow by him last night… like what?? thats just bad effort
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  - Posted on: Tue, 11/05/2013 - 10:03am #847615
    
    mavsatx
    Participant
    definitely. harden just let jj reddick blow by him last night… like what?? thats just bad effort
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  - Posted on: Tue, 11/05/2013 - 7:19pm #847713
    
    Tongue-Out-Like-23
    Participant
    He’s not a “really bad defender”. You watch one highlight (or lowlight) tape of him playing poor defense and suddenly he’s a really bad defender?
    I’ll admit, he’s inconsistent but to say he’s a really bad defender is poor judgement.
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    - Posted on: Tue, 11/05/2013 - 7:39pm #847719
      
      Siggy
      Participant
      Yes he is. He is a really bad defender. Probably THE worst among players who are considered star players. He has poor awareness, getting caught ball-watching all the time. He’s lazy closing out on shooters. He gets stuck on screens. Players blow by him with ease. Overall, he plays with poor effort on that end of the floor. I don’t need a youtube video to tell me he’s a bad defender because I see it every time he plays.
      The numbers say exactly that too. His defensive adjusted +/- last yr was in the negative. He was the only player in the top 34-35 (sorted by total RAPM) with a negative dRAPM.
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      - Posted on: Wed, 11/06/2013 - 6:43am #847886
        
        lakeshow22
        Participant
        Siggy idk guys like curry, melo, and Irving r pretty bad defensively, but harden is right up there
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      - Posted on: Wed, 11/06/2013 - 6:43am #847776
        
        lakeshow22
        Participant
        Siggy idk guys like curry, melo, and Irving r pretty bad defensively, but harden is right up there
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    - Posted on: Tue, 11/05/2013 - 7:39pm #847829
      
      Siggy
      Participant
      Yes he is. He is a really bad defender. Probably THE worst among players who are considered star players. He has poor awareness, getting caught ball-watching all the time. He’s lazy closing out on shooters. He gets stuck on screens. Players blow by him with ease. Overall, he plays with poor effort on that end of the floor. I don’t need a youtube video to tell me he’s a bad defender because I see it every time he plays.
      The numbers say exactly that too. His defensive adjusted +/- last yr was in the negative. He was the only player in the top 34-35 (sorted by total RAPM) with a negative dRAPM.
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  - Posted on: Tue, 11/05/2013 - 7:19pm #847823
    
    Tongue-Out-Like-23
    Participant
    He’s not a “really bad defender”. You watch one highlight (or lowlight) tape of him playing poor defense and suddenly he’s a really bad defender?
    I’ll admit, he’s inconsistent but to say he’s a really bad defender is poor judgement.
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- Posted on: Tue, 11/05/2013 - 6:20pm #847703
  
  BKGingerSnap
  Participant
  Are you kidding me, Paul George is a top 5 wing defender in the NBA and Harden is god awful on D. They’re about the same offensively, but defense is the other half of the game you need to consider. George in a heartbeat. George was the best player on a team that took Miami to 7 games. Harden couldn’t get out of the first round last year, and stunk in the finals two years ago.
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  - Posted on: Tue, 11/05/2013 - 7:25pm #847715
    
    Tongue-Out-Like-23
    Participant
    Comparing two players based on how far they went into the playoffs is unfair to both players. James Harden was playing with an injured Jeremy Lin and Omer Asik against the #1 seed in the Western Conference.
    On the other hand, Paul George was playing with David West and Roy Hibbert at the top of his game against Atlanta and New York.
    By the way, James Harden is a completely different player than he was 2 years ago.
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  - Posted on: Tue, 11/05/2013 - 7:25pm #847825
    
    Tongue-Out-Like-23
    Participant
    Comparing two players based on how far they went into the playoffs is unfair to both players. James Harden was playing with an injured Jeremy Lin and Omer Asik against the #1 seed in the Western Conference.
    On the other hand, Paul George was playing with David West and Roy Hibbert at the top of his game against Atlanta and New York.
    By the way, James Harden is a completely different player than he was 2 years ago.
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- Posted on: Tue, 11/05/2013 - 6:20pm #847813
  
  BKGingerSnap
  Participant
  Are you kidding me, Paul George is a top 5 wing defender in the NBA and Harden is god awful on D. They’re about the same offensively, but defense is the other half of the game you need to consider. George in a heartbeat. George was the best player on a team that took Miami to 7 games. Harden couldn’t get out of the first round last year, and stunk in the finals two years ago.
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Posted on: Mon, 11/04/2013 - 7:43pm #847586

Tongue-Out-Like-23
Participant
Let’s start off by stating their pros:
James Harden: Excellent ball-handler, above average facilitator, top-notch shooter, great slasher, gets to the foul line and converts, can get his own shot.
Paul George: Great defender/2 way player, improved his jumper into a scary shot, good ball-handler for size, good facilitator, can create his own shot, attacks the boards
Now their cons:
James Harden: Gets flustered with double teams, average defender, at 6’5, does he have any more potential other than scoring?
Paul George: Can he consistently average 25 a game on good %s? consistent killer instinct?
To be honest, you can’t go wrong with either, they are the future of the league and the future is now. Both players are top-3 in their position right now and George would be the best SF in 5 years if it wasn’t for Durant and LeBron.
Bias aside, I would go with Harden RIGHT NOW, simply because his offense is more advanced than PGs. Paul George seems to have some games where he’ll take 20 shots and be unstoppable and the following night will only take 7 shots and the Pacers struggle whereas Harden seems to always have a good scoring game. Even if his % is poor, he’ll get to the line and take 8-12 free throws a game.
In 5 years though, I think I’d take PG based on his potential. At 6’10, this guy can easily play 3 different positions and is improving his passing as the years go by. He can easily play 4 positions in 5 years. Not to mention, he is quickly becoming one of the premier wing defenders in this league. He’s a terrific 2-way player whereas Harden’s defensive potential is limited, or at least no where near PGs.
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Posted on: Mon, 11/04/2013 - 7:56pm #847481

sheltwon3
Participant
I am Paul George all the way. He is a two way player and has great size. He can score in many ways and can possibly add a post game if needed in the future even though now his game is more perimeter based. I think George can do pretty much everything Harden can do but he is bigger and can defend better.
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Posted on: Mon, 11/04/2013 - 7:56pm #847590

sheltwon3
Participant
I am Paul George all the way. He is a two way player and has great size. He can score in many ways and can possibly add a post game if needed in the future even though now his game is more perimeter based. I think George can do pretty much everything Harden can do but he is bigger and can defend better.
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Posted on: Mon, 11/04/2013 - 8:21pm #847487

ItsRainingNegs
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If I can have Harden for the next four years or PG for the next five I’m taking Harden. More position value, better scorer, and he can create his own shot. The last part emphasized. Teams can’t throw enough money at guards with the ability to break down a defense, especially with his passing ability, and I’m with them.
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Posted on: Mon, 11/04/2013 - 8:21pm #847596

ItsRainingNegs
Participant
If I can have Harden for the next four years or PG for the next five I’m taking Harden. More position value, better scorer, and he can create his own shot. The last part emphasized. Teams can’t throw enough money at guards with the ability to break down a defense, especially with his passing ability, and I’m with them.
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Posted on: Tue, 11/05/2013 - 4:31am #847644

blood
Because if we gonna keep it real,Who has MVP potential of the two ? Imo its Harden,hands down.
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Posted on: Tue, 11/05/2013 - 4:31am #847534

blood
Because if we gonna keep it real,Who has MVP potential of the two ? Imo its Harden,hands down.
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- Posted on: Tue, 11/05/2013 - 4:59am #847654
  
  IndianaBasketball
  Participant
  You don’t think Paul George has MVP potential? IMO he does. Not only that, I think he’ll be a MVP candidate this season.
  The Pacers have the look of a 60 win regular season team and George is it’s best player. It’s early and the sample size is small, but it’s clear George’s game is about to take another huge jump upwards. I’m expecting him to average 20+ points on 45+% shooting, close to 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 block and 2 steals. Defensively, the only question is whether he’ll be on the All NBA First Team or Second Team.
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- Posted on: Tue, 11/05/2013 - 4:59am #847544
  
  IndianaBasketball
  Participant
  You don’t think Paul George has MVP potential? IMO he does. Not only that, I think he’ll be a MVP candidate this season.
  The Pacers have the look of a 60 win regular season team and George is it’s best player. It’s early and the sample size is small, but it’s clear George’s game is about to take another huge jump upwards. I’m expecting him to average 20+ points on 45+% shooting, close to 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 block and 2 steals. Defensively, the only question is whether he’ll be on the All NBA First Team or Second Team.
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Posted on: Tue, 11/05/2013 - 6:26am #847674

jwall1
Participant
I would take Paul George. A SF with that size and ability does not come around often. He is not as offensively sound as Harden yet, but defensively its not even close.
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Posted on: Tue, 11/05/2013 - 6:26am #847564

jwall1
Participant
I would take Paul George. A SF with that size and ability does not come around often. He is not as offensively sound as Harden yet, but defensively its not even close.
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Posted on: Tue, 11/05/2013 - 9:16am #847706

417basketballfan
Participant
I would take george just because I feel he gives you the best chance to win a championship due to the fact that he plays against lebron better then harden has.
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Posted on: Tue, 11/05/2013 - 9:16am #847597

417basketballfan
Participant
I would take george just because I feel he gives you the best chance to win a championship due to the fact that he plays against lebron better then harden has.
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Posted on: Tue, 11/05/2013 - 1:01pm #847645

IndianaBasketball
Participant
James Harden’s defense (or lack thereof) vs the Clippers
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- Posted on: Tue, 11/05/2013 - 5:30pm #847689
  
  machu46
  Participant
  It somehow gets worse with each passing possession.
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- Posted on: Tue, 11/05/2013 - 5:30pm #847799
  
  machu46
  Participant
  It somehow gets worse with each passing possession.
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Posted on: Tue, 11/05/2013 - 1:01pm #847754

IndianaBasketball
Participant
James Harden’s defense (or lack thereof) vs the Clippers
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Posted on: Tue, 11/05/2013 - 7:43pm #847725

raybeas
Participant
which may give Harden a slight edge currently, as George is obviously best used at SF, unless he continues his Oladipoesque rise in outside shooting.
Defensively PG can guard Harden’s position better than Harden can, as well as SF at an elite level, and can be used to guard top point guards on occasion. Harden will never make an All-Defensive team.
Depending on team needs of course, I would take Paul George right now, and for the future.
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Posted on: Tue, 11/05/2013 - 7:43pm #847835

raybeas
Participant
which may give Harden a slight edge currently, as George is obviously best used at SF, unless he continues his Oladipoesque rise in outside shooting.
Defensively PG can guard Harden’s position better than Harden can, as well as SF at an elite level, and can be used to guard top point guards on occasion. Harden will never make an All-Defensive team.
Depending on team needs of course, I would take Paul George right now, and for the future.
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Posted on: Thu, 11/07/2013 - 6:59am #848016

Hale
Participant
When everyone last year said Paul George would be/was a superstar after the postseason I strongly disagreed. I took a wait and see approach, and I’m finally buying the hype. He’s better than James Harden and he could be a top 5 player in the NBA by the end of the year. His offense is coming along really well and he’s phenomenal on the defensive end.
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Posted on: Thu, 11/07/2013 - 6:59am #848127

Hale
Participant
When everyone last year said Paul George would be/was a superstar after the postseason I strongly disagreed. I took a wait and see approach, and I’m finally buying the hype. He’s better than James Harden and he could be a top 5 player in the NBA by the end of the year. His offense is coming along really well and he’s phenomenal on the defensive end.
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