[ad_1]
Stephen Curry and James Harden are among the many finest guards in basketball, bar none. This doesn’t simply apply for this season or all through their respective careers. They’re two of the very best to ever play the sport, interval. It’s a protected guess to say the 2 are already surefire hall-of-famers, after which some. It’s not shocking that the Curry vs Harden matchup is mentioned this a lot.
The battle of two of basketball’s finest scorers on the guard place continues to be debated advert nauseum. It’s a polarizing matchup: one revolutionized the sport of basketball, and the opposite perfected it. Greater than any side of the sport, scoring baskets has been the bread and butter for these two superstars since they have been each drafted in 2009.
How shut is the matchup between the 2 of them actually? Right here’s a have a look at what the numbers are telling us.
Stephen Curry is heralded as the best shooter of all time for a cause. He owns the three-point zone greater than any participant within the affiliation, as evidenced by his 43% taking pictures clip from distance by means of twelve seasons within the league. He’s put up per-game averages of 23.8 factors, 4.6 rebounds, and 6.6 assists for his profession on 47/43/90 effectivity.
That he can’t carry a staff with out different All-Stars subsequent to him is patently unfaithful, and Steph has been out to show his doubters flawed this 12 months. Because the Warriors’ fundamental man this season, these numbers have shot as much as 29.0 ppg, 5.3 rpg, and 6.2 apg on 47-41-92 taking pictures splits. Impressively, regardless of enjoying on the third-highest utilization fee of his profession as Golden State’s main scorer, his efficient area purpose share this 12 months (59.1%) is definitely a complete share level than that of his complete profession mixed (58.1%).
What Steph lacks in athleticism, he makes up for together with his effectivity, vary, and craftiness, which opens up extra alternatives for the Golden State offense each time he’s on the ground. In addition to being a flamethrower from distance, he’s additionally an underrated finisher with handles to rival these of Kyrie Irving. His really feel for the sport, greater than the rest, is one trait that doesn’t present up within the stat sheet and that finally contributes to staff success on the offensive finish.
Whereas James Harden is approaching the identical stratosphere as Curry on this regard, he’s nonetheless evidently not as prolific a shooter. Then again, his excellence comes by the use of particular person dominance. He has the one-on-one sport right down to a science. When he requires isolation on a less-than-competent defender, you would possibly as effectively tack on the factors for his staff.
| Participant | G | FG% | 3P | 3PA | 3P% | eFG% | FT | FTA | FT% | AST | STL | BLK | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stephen Curry | 738 | .476 | 3.6 | 8.4 | .433 | .581 | 3.7 | 4.1 | .907 | 6.6 | 1.7 | 0.2 | 23.8 |
| James Harden | 868 | .445 | 2.8 | 7.7 | .364 | .528 | 7.5 | 8.7 | .859 | 6.5 | 1.6 | 0.5 | 25.2 |
Effectivity is what units them aside
Although Harden is a celebrated scorer in his personal proper, the distinction is of their effectivity. His 44/36/85 taking pictures splits for his profession are a step under Curry’s throughout the board. It’s nothing surprising given his shot choice, particularly all through his tenure in Houston the place he was the focus of Mike D’Antoni’s offense. To date, he has averaged 25.2 factors, 5.5 rebounds, and 6.5 assists for his profession.
He actually deserves credit score for a way rapidly he adjusted to Brooklyn’s offense. When the Nets trio got here collectively, pundits have been fast to level out the pitfalls of pairing three ball-dominant and iso-heavy gamers collectively. But regardless of enjoying subsequent to 2 superstars, he managed to carve out a pleasant position for himself that doesn’t get within the move of the offense.
Even then, true taking pictures percentages present that Curry continues to be the higher shooter. The latter sports activities a 64.0 TS% for this season to this point, whereas Harden shoots the ball on 63.7% TS regardless of having a considerably smaller utilization fee at 27.6%.
Boxing both participant into their particular person strengths is an egregious mistake. Neither of them is only a shooter or simply an isolation scorer. However when all is claimed and accomplished, Curry’s scoring continues to be extra congruous with profitable basketball.
#NBACourtOptix powered by Microsoft Azure highlights the eye Stephen Curry attracts on offense! Gaining the main focus of a number of defenders on the courtroom, Curry creates open and environment friendly photographs for his teammates by drawing double groups.
📺 Warriors vs. Nuggets at 10 PM ET on TNT pic.twitter.com/XGIsCHstt2
— NBA (@NBA) January 14, 2021
The hole is smaller than you would possibly assume, however this must go to Curry.
Curry vs Harden: Protection
Evaluating protection between the 2 is a little bit of a toss-up.
Together with his considerably wiry body, Curry is clearly the extra slithery participant who can navigate screens with relative ease. This translates in his defensive matchups: he’s permitting guards to attain on 41.0% effectivity on him this season. The quantity crawls as much as 46.1% towards forwards and, unsurprisingly, 93.3% towards facilities.
It’s the other for the bigger-boned Harden, whose stout body permits him to tackle larger matchups if want be. Per NBA.com’s very flawed matchup data, faster guards are taking pictures a worse 44.2% when he’s defending them, however his benefit is towards bigs and forwards. To this point this season, facilities have shot 25-of-38 or 65.8% towards the 6-foot-5 taking pictures guard.
Within the matchups alone, we will see the Curry is the simpler defender to this point. Curry is a web +11.7 in his on-court minutes for his profession and +5.8 to this point this season, in comparison with +5.1 and +0.9, respectively for Harden.
Superior defensive stats are, as anticipated, not superb for 2 shoot-first guards. Curry’s protection results in extra wins to the Warriors, who boast the league’s Seventh-ranked protection, with 1.6 defensive win shares versus Harden’s 1.1. However Harden contributes extra on that finish of the ground with a 0.8 defensive field plus-minus versus Curry’s 0.2.
James Harden with some clutch late-game protection on Giannis 🔒 pic.twitter.com/DRI5TxYjcr
— ESPN (@espn) August 3, 2020
Together with his measurement and athleticism, Harden is actually the extra versatile defender. Switching onto an enormous doesn’t instantly assure a bucket for the opposition for Harden the way in which it might for Curry. For that reason alone, regardless of Curry’s competent numbers, this one must go to Harden. Given the positionless basketball period that Curry is credited for spawning, defensive versatility makes all of the distinction.
Curry vs Harden: Management
How one leads a staff can also be troublesome to gauge on numbers alone, particularly when the 2 gamers in query lead their respective basketball golf equipment in vastly other ways.
The place Steph has proven that he’s the centerpiece and soul of the Warriors offense, Harden has unquestionably exhibited his potential to hold the staff on his again for lengthy stretches, usually taking it upon himself to attain when the staff can’t generate any offense.
Proper off the bat, Curry has clearly had extra staff success. He received three titles enjoying with a traditionally stacked Warriors staff. A major cause for that is that Curry has by no means wanted the ball in his arms to raise his staff. He’s proven that his mere presence — that’s to say, his gravity, off-ball motion, playmaking, and different intangibles — contorts defenses and makes his teammates higher.
But for all his talent with the basketball, the new-look, ninth-seed Warriors nonetheless have quite a lot of soul-searching to do. A lot of this is on head coach Steve Kerr, to be sure. However a franchise chief, particularly one in every of Curry’s caliber, ought to be discovering methods to win.
Ball-heavy Harden is discovering higher methods to guide in Brooklyn
Then again, Harden’s talent as a playmaker is impeccable, as evidenced by his 7.7 assists per sport over his eight years in Houston. But his manufacturing didn’t translate to the identical success there.
Personnel is one factor, however a lot has additionally been stated about his have to have the ball in his arms. In his years in Houston, he averaged a 33.4% utilization fee.
The Rockets franchise had little to point out for it when all was stated and accomplished. Harden’s management of a franchise that had Chris Paul, Dwight Howard, and Russell Westbrook finally left a lot to be desired. That the group was left with out an id when its cornerstone departed ought to inform you all it’s worthwhile to find out about his management.
On the identical time, his Houston years are additionally a factor of the previous.
Because it at the moment stands, Harden is flourishing as a facilitator subsequent to Irving and Durant. It’s one thing most critics didn’t see coming, and it has labored wonders for the top-heavy Brooklyn Nets. Barring accidents, there may very effectively be a championship within the works for Harden if he retains up his steadying play.
Harden DIME to Jeff Inexperienced 🎯 pic.twitter.com/sQ2gptqyhK
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) February 3, 2021
The decision
At one level, this may have been a simple alternative. Harden’s pressure with the Rockets roster—and group as a complete—was well-documented in direction of the latter a part of his tenure in Houston and does little to assist his case. But he’s excelling in a brand new scenario in Brooklyn regardless of a comparatively small pattern measurement.
This season has proven us to date that the 2 of them are nonetheless very a lot evolving. It’s nearly unprecedented, however they’re nonetheless getting higher this late into their particular person careers. Regardless of a pronounced drop in touches, Harden is adjusting to his new position in Brooklyn gracefully and has proven little drop-off in manufacturing if in any respect. He’s exhibiting he doesn’t want the whole offense to revolve round him to shine.
Curry, for his half, is re-learning easy methods to play with out two All-Stars by his facet. He’s exhibiting followers he’s nonetheless the league’s best point guard, and he evidently nonetheless has what it takes to place the Warriors on his again and eke out wins.
What this implies is that as the 2 proceed to develop, so too does the controversy between them require extra nuance. It’s actually a sound argument and one which’s sure to remain for so long as these two are within the league. It’s not an unfounded form of rivalry, both; by means of their 11 years within the league, the 2 have the identical offensive and defensive scores per 100 possessions.
However a cursory look on the numbers ought to inform any fan that the one appropriate and logical reply will nonetheless be Stephen Wardell Curry. Every other conclusion would require a great deal of wilful obtuseness and mental dishonesty. When it’s all stated and accomplished, Steph Curry will go down as one of the best to ever play the game.
[ad_2]
Source link
