New Team: Miller/Hakeem vs Harden/KG

[Matt15]

Which duo would you rather build around in todays league?

[euroleague]

careers or peaks?

[ardee]

I am taking Reggie and Hakeem. Both are simply more proven Playoff performers and would fit extremely well together.

Harden and KG probably have even better fit but I trust them both less in the Playoffs.

[henshao]

although both duos compliment each other, Miller and Olajuwon compliment each other more IMO

[ShotCreator]

You take Harden/Garnett here and you don’t overthink this.

Yes, Miller and Olajuwon are both playoff killers. And it seems on the surface they compliment better. But they actually don’t.

Harden has never played with a stretch big that can catch and throw down lobs. Garnett never had a lead guard on the caliber of Harden who could turn the nozzle down to 25/15 games or up to 40/7 games at-will.

Harden is the single best lob passer of the era by far and it isn’t even close. He threw more lobs to busted Dwight and young Capela than Chris Paul did in Lob City to Griffin and Jordan, and he did it before this actually offensive peak under D’Antoni.


The offensive scale-up and offensive versatility of Harden/Garnett is so astronomical and then by the time Harden was in his late 20’s he was a reliably good defender come playoff time. A savant on rotations and getting his hands on the ball with good post D. Frankly better than Miller ever was.

With Olajuwon and Miller you have guys whose first instinct is not to pass while Garnett and Harden are naturally unselfish. Miller’s off-ball game and Olajuwon’s post-up game are sickeningly deadly though.

Much more basketball poetry and synergy would be happening on the Garnett/Harden side though. Probably the GOAT big/small transition combo early in their careers and the most skilled combo ever in half court later in their primes.