At their best who's a better scorer Kevin Durant or James Harden?

[Dooley]

The case for Durant as a clearly better playoff scorer than Harden is heavily reliant on the GSW seasons. I don't think OKC Durant was a clearly more productive playoff scorer than peak Harden, and BRK Durant is obviously hit-or-miss.

The GSW Durant seasons can't be dismissed entirely, as those were Durant's peak years as an NBA player, but he almost certainly did benefit significantly from the context. So taking that into account, along with the fact that Durant is much more reliant on guard play and that Harden's foul-drawing is actually fairly resilient... well, I think Durant is still a better scorer but it's not a huge gap.

The question I keep thinking about with Harden is, was he actually best served by trying to be a volume scorer in the first place.

[capfan33]

In most of his best seasons, Harden was not a reliable playoff performer, which means he's many, many, many notches below Durant - one of the all-time best playoff performers

This is sarcasm right.

Durant = .476fg shooter in the playoffs.
Harden = .426fg shooter in the playoffs.
They are opposites.

Talking about Durant, who routinely got worse in the postseason scoring wise outside of GS. I picked KD in this poll but calling him "one of the all-time best playoff performers" isn't accurate, at least in a discussion like this.

[Im Your Father]

In most of his best seasons, Harden was not a reliable playoff performer, which means he's many, many, many notches below Durant - one of the all-time best playoff performers

I feel like despite all of the flak Durant gets for his GS move, it has still somehow simultaneously created this narrative.

He was not a particularly notable or resilient playoff performer in OKC. He's had some excellent runs (including 2021), but he's not an a particularly notable playoff performer outside the GS years when he had quite possibly literally the most talented team ever assembled.

ETA: This is still probably Durant, though.

[cam24thomas]

In most of his best seasons, Harden was not a reliable playoff performer, which means he's many, many, many notches below Durant - one of the all-time best playoff performers

I feel like despite all of the flak Durant gets for his GS move, it has still somehow simultaneously created this narrative.

He was not a particularly notable or resilient playoff performer in OKC. He's had some excellent runs (including 2021), but he's not an a particularly notable playoff performer outside the GS years when he had quite possibly literally the most talented team ever assembled.

ETA: This is still probably Durant, though.

Durant is so great he made Curry a 2nd Option in the NBA Finals in back-to-back years
Also Durant averaged 30.6 points, .548fg, .394treys in the 2012 NBA Finals vs. Miami.
Very few players in NBA history have better Finals stats than Durant.

[cam24thomas]

This is sarcasm right.

Durant = .476fg shooter in the playoffs.
Harden = .426fg shooter in the playoffs.
They are opposites.

Talking about Durant, who routinely got worse in the postseason scoring wise outside of GS. I picked KD in this poll but calling him "one of the all-time best playoff performers" isn't accurate, at least in a discussion like this.

For OKC in playoffs, Durant averaged 28.8 points, .455 field, 91 games.
For Brooklyn in playoffs, Durant averaged 32.3 points, .485 field, 16 games.
In the playoffs, Michael Jordan averaged 33.4 points, .487 field.

[Stan]

When it comes to the regular season, peak Harden statistically matches up with anybody. But when it comes to the playoffs, when he isn't getting all the free trips to the foul line like he's used to, he just does not match up with the truly elite scorers of the game. He's had more 2/11 abominations than any player of his caliber I can remember, and he almost always gets worse the further both his team goes in the playoffs, and the further along a series goes.

KD's for sure had his struggles in the playoffs outside of Golden State, but he is the obvious choice here. Harden in his entire playoff career has NEVER come close to what KD was doing against the Bucks last year.

[f4p]

People are really overrating KD here who has mostly had much better teammates that made his life infinitely easier. They're exaggerating how bad Harden's playoff drops have been. I still have KD here, but some of the hyperbole here is just going into insanity. KD would struggle a lot more if stuck in Harden's situation in Houston and Harden would have excelled much more next to a passer in Westbrook or with Curry.

yeah this stuff is hilarious. you can take KD, but the "only harden dropped in the playoffs" is crazy.

Regular Season vs Postseason Drop-off in TS% (ranked best to worst)

Harden Prime (2015-2020): -2.7%
Harden All of Houston: -3.4%
Harden Peak 2018-2020: -4.3%
Durant Prime OKC (except age 21 2010 season): -4.4%
Durant All of OKC: -4.6%
Durant Peak 2014-2016 (missed 2015): -7.8%

yeah weirdly not so resilient in his pre-superteam days.

Harden (pre-prime) on semi-superteam OKC: +0.9%
Harden on superteam BKN 1 series: +14.2%

Postseason
KD in OKC: 29.1 ppg with only 3.8 apg (not counting too young 2010 season)
Harden in Houston: 28.4 ppg with 7.1 apg

[f4p]

When it comes to the regular season, peak Harden statistically matches up with anybody. But when it comes to the playoffs, when he isn't getting all the free trips to the foul line like he's used to, he just does not match up with the truly elite scorers of the game. He's had more 2/11 abominations than any player of his caliber I can remember, and he almost always gets worse the further both his team goes in the playoffs, and the further along a series goes.

KD's for sure had his struggles in the playoffs outside of Golden State, but he is the obvious choice here. Harden in his entire playoff career has NEVER come close to what KD was doing against the Bucks last year.

Sub 40 TS% Playoff Games (spreadsheet appears to go through 2021 1st round)
KD in OKC - 5 out of 91
Harden in HOU - 5 out of 85
Steph - 7 out of 111 (didn't count an injured 8th game in 2016 1st round)