Kawhi or Harden: Polar Opposites, Better Career?

[Shock Defeat]

On one hand you have Kawhi, part time player, but he has two championships, including one finals MVP. Plays both ends. but his time in Toronto basically popularized the idea that regular season doesn't matter and you shouldn't have to try hard or care about fans not being able to see you play. Arguably this has ruined the end product for many fans.

Then you have Harden, who is durable and never misses a game. Prolific scorer with an MVP but has never won a ring. He is statistically one of the most impressive players of all time. but all those stats and wins are in the regular season. People also complain about his ref baiting and flopping.

End of the day, what matters more? Consistent regular season performance vs a complete neglect of the regular season but some really impressive playoff runs?



I think Kawhi has damaged the NBA more than Harden has by not giving a **** about the regular season. Fans also eat this up which is why I think Kawhi will win this poll. That said, those fans on Kawhi's side here are partially responsible for the bad regular season product, which lowers the whole reason the NBA exists, which is to provide entertainment from Oct - April. I think this is a much more damming legacy that deserves ridicule/disrespect, as opposed to Harden.

[Karate Diop]

Kawhi easily. Not even close.

[Shock Defeat]

Kawhi easily. Not even close.

I think Kawhi has damaged the NBA more than Harden has by not giving a **** about the regular season. Fans also eat this up which is why I think Kawhi will win this poll. That said, those fans on Kawhi's side here are partially responsible for the bad regular season product, which lowers the whole reason the NBA exists, which is to provide entertainment from Oct - April. I think this is a much more damming legacy that deserves ridicule/disrespect, as opposed to Harden.

[Tor_Raps]

Kawhis 2019 run will be greater than anything Harden has done. Harden will need to win a title in order to compare.

[chrisab123]

Kawhi has rings. Harden might have the accolades but not the ultimate team accomplishment. I don't even really think Harden cares, to be honest. He's just counting down the days until he can get back to the strip clubs in Houston

[GSWFan1994]

As a player, for what he actually does while he's in the court, it's Kawhi.

However, I think Harden has had a better career.

[AdagioPace]

Harden: games played (984)
Kawhi: games played (610)

I'd say Harden. there's no amout of championships that can compensate for this massive gap considering they were both All-NBA level players and HArden had a better start of career. Kawhi is a part-time player. They do different sports.

[cupcakesnake]

Kawhi has 2 finals MVPs not 1.

I voted Harden. Kawhi is probably going to be this weird hard-to-rank player, depending on how the final years of his prime go. Some people will argue that his peak is all-time. But like Bill Walton and Bernard King, he's going to be confusing to stack up next to the other all-time greats.

[Blacksheep25]

I can’t imagine voting for Harden and I don’t even like Kawhi. It’s just more at the end of the day, who is a real serious difference maker that can lead you to winning it all compared to collapsing when it’s crunch time. One has been far and away the best player on the court during entire playoff runs and Harden doesn’t just choke in the post-season, he has his very worst games, all time bad games when accounting for his usage, at the most time crucial of times.

Like I’d have Kawhi really low when comparing him to other Finals MVPs because of how often he’s missed, but you can’t put Harden in a conversation about Kawhi.

Hell, even the game 7s and important games won in a series over his career are won are despite him. I recall him missing everything in a game 7 only to be bailed out by Eric Gordon and Covington during the pandemic. Like it never changes and he doesn’t grow into the role. He just always sucks.


He can be the reason you advance into the playoffs, but in any moment that has pressure, he’ll be the worst player on the court more often than not. I can’t really think of a bigger drop off than Harden in the history of the league.

[LarsV8]

If Harden and Kawhi switched circumstances, Kawhi aint winning ****.

He would be broken and done.

Its real easy to show up 2/3s of the time and put on a good show nice and rested.

Let Kawhi try and carry a team somewhere and then lets have this discussion.

[dockingsched]

Harden has like double the amount of career points, triple assists, and like double the rebounds. Harden has has two Kawhi careers, the hell we talking about here.

We’re supposed to ignore that cause Kawhi was lucky to be drafted into a title pedigree big 3 powerhouse or cause of the one title run he led?

[Richard Miller]

If Harden and Kawhi switched circumstances, Kawhi aint winning ****.

This

[SerialChiller]

Kawhis 2019 run will be greater than anything Harden has done. Harden will need to win a title in order to compare.

Kawhi did that while being a defensive player of the year type player. Harden will never compare, especially now that he's already at the point where he can no longer be the best player on a championship team.

[nikster]

16-17 is probably the first time Kawhi looked like a superstar in the playoffs. That was 6 seasons ago. Over those 6 seasons Other than the title run Prime Kawhi has that bad exit in game 7 against the Nuggets or has been injured in every other run. He has been injured or load managed in the regular season for all but first 16-17 season.

I think Hardens playoff failures are overblown, and think he could have had a title in another situation or if not for the Durant Warriors.

[LarsV8]

The 2017-2018 Rocket team led by Harden which would have dethroned the GOAT team if not for Scott Foster is a greater accomplishment than any of Kawhi's actual championships.

Its Harden, and it isn't close.

[IAMZOOTED2]

Kawhi kinda epitomizes “system” hooper. The man is talented af, but can do nothing -seriously nothing! - on his own. It’s the Beard and it ain’t that close. After he bring the 6ers a chizzip he’ll set this record straight

[NZB2323]

Harden has like double the amount of career points, triple assists, and like double the rebounds. Harden has has two Kawhi careers, the hell we talking about here.

We’re supposed to ignore that cause Kawhi was lucky to be drafted into a title pedigree big 3 powerhouse or cause of the one title run he led?

Has Kawhi been in better situations? Harden was drafted onto a team with Durant and Westbrook. They both made the Finals at age 22. We can see how well they did in the Finals when they were 22:

Kawhi: 18, 6, and 2, 75.3 TS%, great defense on Lebron
Harden: 12, 5, and 4, 52.9 TS%, bad defense on Wade

Harden did beat Kawhi in a playoff series in 2012, but Kawhi was only 21 and wasn't an all-star yet. In 2017 they were both all-star starters and we can see how they did in the playoffs against each other:

Kawhi: 24, 10, and 6, 60.6 TS%
Harden: 25, 10, and 5, 56.8 TS%

Given that Kawhi is a better defensive player and he won the series, it's fair to say Kawhi outplayed Harden.

Harden's been on teams with Dwight Howard, Chris Paul, Westbrook again, Durant again with Kyrie, and Joel Embiid. Harden also forced the Rockets to trade away Chris Paul.

Harden also isn't always better in the regular season. In 2016 the Spurs won 67 games and the Rockets won 41. You can talk about big 3 but Duncan was 39, Ginobili was 38, and Parker was 33.

[Tor_Raps]

Kawhis 2019 run will be greater than anything Harden has done. Harden will need to win a title in order to compare.

Kawhi did that while being a defensive player of the year type player. Harden will never compare, especially now that he's already at the point where he can no longer be the best player on a championship team.

Thing is that Kawhis health can be used against him depending on how their careers finish out.

[nikster]

Harden has like double the amount of career points, triple assists, and like double the rebounds. Harden has has two Kawhi careers, the hell we talking about here.

We’re supposed to ignore that cause Kawhi was lucky to be drafted into a title pedigree big 3 powerhouse or cause of the one title run he led?

Has Kawhi been in better situations? Harden was drafted onto a team with Durant and Westbrook. They both made the Finals at age 22. We can see how well they did in the Finals when they were 22:

Kawhi: 18, 6, and 2, 75.3 TS%, great defense on Lebron
Harden: 12, 5, and 4, 52.9 TS%, bad defense on Wade

Harden did beat Kawhi in a playoff series in 2012, but Kawhi was only 21 and wasn't an all-star yet. In 2017 they were both all-star starters and we can see how they did in the playoffs against each other:

Kawhi: 24, 10, and 6, 60.6 TS%
Harden: 25, 10, and 5, 56.8 TS%

Given that Kawhi is a better defensive player and he won the series, it's fair to say Kawhi outplayed Harden.

Harden's been on teams with Dwight Howard, Chris Paul, Westbrook again, Durant again with Kyrie, and Joel Embiid. Harden also forced the Rockets to trade away Chris Paul.

Harden also isn't always better in the regular season. In 2016 the Spurs won 67 games and the Rockets won 41. You can talk about big 3 but Duncan was 39, Ginobili was 38, and Parker was 33.

Why didnt you pull up their overall playoff averages at 22? Yeah Harden had a bad finals. What about Kawhis bad WCF? 12/5/2.5 at 48.7 TS%.

Listing post back injury Dwight Howard as some sort of great help? The Harden Nets never had a healthy run. He left the OKC Durant teams after a finals run and was only 22. Those Chris Paul teams were elite and had a legit chance at winning, he just ran into the Durant Warriors (and might have beat them if not for a CP3 injury). They were his only legit supporting championship supporting cast.

[iLLmatic860]

20 years from now ..everybody will recognize Kawahi as a champion
20 years from now. everybody will say "Harden was a great player BUT......."