Russell Westbrook vs James Harden: Who among Beard and Brodie is a better fit in the 75th anniversary team


Russell Westbrook vs James Harden: Who among Beard and Brodie is a better fit in the 75th anniversary team

Russell Westbrook vs James Harden

Know all about the comparison of Russell Westbrook vs James Harden here. In the NBA, comparisons between the top most athletes are always being made or comparisons of rookies to veteran greats. As the NBA celebrates its 75th anniversary this year, here is a comparison between two players who dominated the game during their primes and still continue to be dominant given the opportunity.

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Future Hall of Famers Russell Westbrook and James Harden have both been considered as legendary and all-time greats in their own rights. Both players have had achievements of the same level and now it is time to settle a very unpopular yet good debate.

Russell Westbrook vs James Harden: Brodie continues a legacy

Russell Westbrook
Russell Westbrook

Russell Westbrook over the years has grown into one of the most dominant guards to have ever stepped onto the court. Only last year he surpassed Oscar Robertson for most triple-double recorded in NBA history. Not only that but he is also the first player who has averaged a triple-double during the regular season since Robertson.

Westbrook averages a career 23.1 points, 7.4 rebounds and 8.5 assists shooting 43.8% from the field, 30.6% from three and 78.7% from the line. Besides his explosive nature as a player, Westbrook has never been a great perimeter shooter his entire career.

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However, he has tremendous efficiency finishing at the rim and shooting near the paint. Westbrook has been a very flashy player during his career. He has had a few clutch moments and buzzer beaters but he efficiency during crunch time is not all that great. He tends to be a stat getter at times which affects the team around him at times but that playing style also helped him lead his team to incredible victories.

He is a nine time all-star, two time scoring champ, three time assist champ and has had nine all-NBA selections throughout his career.

James Harden: The Beard is one of a kind

James Harden Net Worth
James Harden

James Harden has been arguably one of the greatest scorers the league has ever seen. Similar to Westbrook, Harden is also a spectacular finisher at the rim. He has the ability to create unique shots and score from deep. He uses his ball handling skills to cut through defenders or create space to drain a shot.

Harden averages a career total of 25 points, 5.5 rebounds and 6.6 assists shooting 44.3% from the field, 36.35 from three and a much higher 85.9% from the line. Harden is also a much better player in terms of high IG basketball creating sneaky plays and using his skills very tactically.

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El Chapo is a nine time all-star, three time scoring champ, one time assist champ and has had seven all-NBA selections in his career. Harden also previous held the record for most threes made during the regular season.

Both players have similar tendencies

Top 5 Shooting Guards of 2020-21
James Harden

Either of the two have not been the best defensively but have excelled while given the role of primary ball handler. Despite their amazing resumes, both players are yet two win their first title but that may be crossed of Harden’s this season as the Brooklyn Nets are favorites in the Eastern Conference to win a title.

Harden has a better adapting nature while compared to Westbrook. As you can see Harden’s scoring has decreased a lot since Kevin Durant’s arrival but his contributions as a facilitator has been a heavy backup for Durant’s scoring. Westbrook finds it hard to stay consistent in such situations. The LA Lakers have been struggling to understand where his game would fit but when he is given leadership, he takes it with pride.

Lastly upon the Russell Westbrook vs James Harden debate, the latter may be the better player among the two since he has always improved his game according to the situation around him fortunately resulting in wins for his team as the Nets lead the East right now

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