Is it now time to give it to Harden?
Is James Harden in the conversation for best scorer of all time?
Dec 5, 2019, 6:37 am
Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images
James Harden just recently tied Michael Jordan for the most 60 point games. This is a tremendous stat, but does this clarify Harden as the best scorer of all time? He is now in great company with Wilt Chamberlin, Kobe Bryant, and Jordan.
Harden has been a lethal threat in the NBA for seven seasons straight. He is able to attack defenses with his strength, handles, athleticism, shooting, and basketball IQ. His step back is arguably the best in the NBA. Harden honestly knows how to work the system. This allows him to put the best defenders in foul trouble. Harden on Saturday night, versus the Atlanta Hawks, scored 60 points in three quarters. Players and coaches have a terrible time game planning against Harden for 48 minutes. Harden is steadily getting double teams because of the pressure he causes on teams. Harden recently won NBA "Toughest to Guard" of the year.
Kyle Kuzma explains what makes it so hard to guard James Harden | NBA on ESPNyoutu.be
"You have to stay disciplined from the start of the game to the end of the game, from the start of the possession to the end of the possession. It's an incredible discipline," Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said. (USA Today/ Jeff Zillgitt)
He has captured two scoring titles with the Rockets. Harden has averaged 29 ppg in the last seven seasons with the Rockets. This season, Harden is averaging 39.5 ppg which is unbelievable.
Does this clarify Harden as the best scorer? No! Harden still has to prove that he is an efficient scorer. It is rare when Harden shoots above 45% from the field in a game. Harden has always depended on foul calls to bail him out in tough situations. Most of his points do come from the free throw line. It is hard to give him the best scorer of all time over Bryant, Jordan, and Chamberlin. Harden puts up great numbers, but where exactly is he getting his points from.? He faces major criticism about his free throw attempts every game.
A Spurs fan told Harden "no one wants to see a free-throw shooting contest" Beard: 🗣"Nobody wants to see fouls eit… https://t.co/E1WCnXtbQy— Bleacher Report (@Bleacher Report) 1575427527.0
Harden is great scorer because he found an easier way to score. What made him a great a scorer was learning how to play the game. Harden found ways to get to the free throw line easier. This does not make him the greatest scorer of all time but makes him the smartest player to score in the NBA.
Harden will be in the top five of scoring in the end of his career but not the best.
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Astros keep doing this, and it’s getting hard to ignore
Jun 25, 2025, 10:01 pm
While the rolling Astros have a week of possible World Series preview matchups against the Phillies and Cubs, it’s the Rockets who made the biggest local sports headline with their acquisition of Kevin Durant. What a move! Of course there is risk involved in trading for a guy soon to turn 37 years old and who carries an injury history, but balancing risk vs. reward is a part of the game. This is a fabulous move for the Rockets. It’s understood that there are dissenters to this view. Everyone is entitled to an opinion, including people with the wrong opinion! Let’s dig in.
The Rockets had a wonderful season in winning 52 games before their disappointing first-round playoff loss to the Warriors, but like everyone else in the Western Conference, they were nowhere close to Oklahoma City’s caliber. While they finished second in the West, the Rockets only finished four games ahead of the play-in. That letting the stew simmer with further growth among their young players would yield true championship contention was no given for 2025-26 or beyond.
Kevin Durant is one of the 10 greatest offensive players the NBA has ever seen. Among his current contemporaries only Stephen Curry and Nikola Jokic make that list. For instance, Durant offensively has clearly been better than the late and legendary Kobe Bryant. To view it from a Houston perspective, Durant has been an indisputably greater offensive force than the amazing Hakeem Olajuwon. But this is not a nostalgia trip in which the Rockets are trading for a guy based on what he used to be. While Durant could hit the wall at any point, living in fear that it’s about to happen is no way to live because KD, approaching his 18th NBA season, is still an elite offensive player.
As to the durability concern, Durant played more games (62) this past season than did Fred VanVleet, Jabari Smith, and Tari Eason. The season before he played more games (75) than did VanVleet, Dillon Brooks, and Alperen Sengun. In each of the last two seasons Durant averaged more minutes per game (36.9) than any Rocket. That was stupid and/or desperate of the Suns, the Rockets will be smarter. Not that the workload eroded Durant’s production or efficiency. Over the two seasons he averaged almost 27 points per game while shooting 52 percent from the floor, 42 percent from behind the three-point line, and 85 percent from the free throw line. Awesomeness. The Rockets made the leap to being a very good team despite a frankly crummy half-court offense. The Rockets ranked 21st among the 30 NBA teams in three-point percentage, and dead last in free throw percentage. Amen Thompson has an array of skills and looks poised to be a unique star. Alas, Thompson has no credible jump shot. VanVleet is not a creator, Smith has limited handle. Adding Durant directly addresses the Rockets’ most glaring weakness.
The price the Rockets paid was in the big picture, minimal, unless you think Jalen Green is going to become a bonafide star. Green is still just 23 years old and spectacular athletically, but nothing he has done over four pro seasons suggests he’s on the cusp of greatness. In no season has Green even shot the league average from the floor or from three. His defense has never been as good as it should be given his athleticism. Compared to some other two-guards who made the NBA move one year removed from high school, four seasons into his career Green is waaaaaay behind where Shae Gilgeous-Alexander, Anthony Edwards, and Devin Booker were four seasons in, and now well behind his draft classmate Cade Cunningham. Dillon Brooks was a solid pro in two seasons here and shot a career-best from three in 2024-2025, but he’s being replaced by Kevin Durant! In terms of the draft pick capital sent to Phoenix, five second round picks are essentially meaningless. The Rockets have multiple extra first round picks in the coming years. As for the sole first-rounder dealt away, whichever player the Rockets would have taken 10th Wednesday night would have been rather unlikely to crack the playing rotation.
VanVleet signs extension
Re-signing Fred VanVleet to a two-year, 50 million dollar guarantee is sensible. In a vacuum, VanVleet was substantially overpaid at the over 40 mil he made per season the last two. He’s a middle-of-the-pack starting point guard. But his professionalism and headiness brought major value to the Rockets’ kiddie corps while their payroll was otherwise very low. Ideally, Reed Sheppard makes a leap to look like an NBA lead guard in his second season, after a pretty much zippo of a rookie campaign. Sheppard is supposed to be a lights-out shooter. For the Rockets to max out, they need two sharpshooters on the court to balance Thompson’s presence.
For Astro-centric conversation, join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and me for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday. Click here to catch!
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