Stop debating: Rockets’ James Harden is better than Stephen Curry

With NBA Twitter still unclear on whether Houston Rockets guard James Harden is a better player than Stephen Curry, it’s time to break down each area of their game.

It’s been quite some time since we’ve seen the Houston Rockets in action, as the coronavirus has kept them off the court since March 10th. Although we’ve all been struggling to adapt to life without sports, it’s been reported that the NBA is targeting a return in June, which means we’ll have to get through for at least another two months, if true.

One positive about the hiatus has been in the form of player comparisons, as we’ve seen a few go viral of late. One of them has been  regarding Tracy McGrady vs. Rockets star James Harden, which we previously covered.

Another one involves Harden and Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry, which comes courtesy of the Twitter account with the name ‘Pat Bev Trick Y’all Man’, which references the storied feud between Russell Westbrook and Patrick Beverley.

Do harden fans really think he’s better than Steph ?

— PAT BEV TRICK YALL MAN (@TripleRussell0) April 15, 2020

The Twitter handle is TripleRussell0, so it’s clear he’s a big fan of Russell Westbrook, which means he at least has a Rockets’ investment on that front. This account has also provided several sports topics of late, which is a great contribution during a period without sports.

This is an interesting one, however, as it doesn’t specify if the topic is regarding who the better shooter is or if it’s the better overall player. If the conversation is regarding the better shooter, Curry wins that unequivocally.

This is not a knock against Harden, as he’s led the league in 3-pointers in each of the last three seasons. But Curry is arguably the best sniper the league has ever seen, as he’s a career 44.3 percent shooter from deep, which is second to only Steve Kerr, who is his coach. But Curry also has the range and ability to shoot from essentially anywhere, which is a lethal attribute for a player with one of the highest 3-point percentages in NBA history.

That’s the only thing Curry has over Harden, which should’ve been known by now. But many attribute Curry’s consecutive MVP’s are proof of how he’s a better player than Harden, which is also false. What that’s proof of is how Harden should have more MVP’s under his belt, but the award has gone to the best player on the best team of late.

The Warriors had the best record in 2014-15 and 2015-16, which are the two seasons in which Steph took home the trophy. This rule of thumb also held true for the last two MVP’s, as Giannis and Harden’s teams had the best record in the league as well.

The Curry vs. Harden debate has been taking place ever since Curry won MVP over Harden, and it getting brought back up is proof that it needs to be detailed. Let’s get started.

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