NBA Player Comparison: Russell Westbrook vs. James Harden

An in-depth NBA comparison on the debate between Russell Westbrook and James Harden and who is the more talented player at this point in their careers

The NBA is filled to the brim with superstar talent and it can become increasingly hard to rank certain players above others. Multiple variables come into play when ranking and comparing players such as stats, positions, skillsets, teams, and of course pure talent.

Besides LeBron James being the almost undisputed number one, it is a total tossup between the remaining stars as to where they stand amongst one-another according to the NBA fanbase.

There are many duos in the NBA whom fans constantly go back and forth about who is superior. One of the most prevalent and controversial is the debate between Oklahoma City Thunder‘s Russell Westbrook and James Harden of the Houston Rockets. These two basketball prodigies are held at relatively the same level by most yet differ in a lot of ways that may give one of them the edge over the other.

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From 2009-12 Westbrook and Harden were actually both on the same team. Both were drafted by the Thunder (Westbrook in 2008, Harden in 2009), but Brodie has one more season of experience over The Beard. Westbrook also plays point guard while Harden is widely regarded as the best shooting guard in the league.

It is also worth mentioning that during Harden’s time on the Thunder he served as the sixth man while Westbrook was a starter throughout all of his careers. It wasn’t until Harden was traded to the Houston Rockets in 2012 that he became the fierce name to be reckoned with that we know him as today.

In terms of career stats, Harden has the edge in points per game averaging 23.3 all-time to Westrbook’s 22.9, but Thunder star has averaged more rebounds, assists, and steals while topping Harden in total points scored, boards, and dimes, overall. It’s important to remember that Russell has played more games than Harden which could give his stats a little more of an advantage.

This season as of now Russell Westbrook is averaging a triple-double with 20.7 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 10 assists per game whole James Harden is averaging 31.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 8.2 assists. Westbrook may have the edge in the grand scheme of things, but if we are talking present day Harden is cooking with gas.

Stats aren’t everything, though. Notoriety in the NBA is another major factor in how players get ranked against each other. Both Westbrook and Harden have one MVP, one assists Champion. Westbrook, however, has one more all-star selection, two more All-NBA selections, and one more scoring champion under his belt.

In contrast, Harden has had more playoff appearances despite Westbrook having one more year of experience. Harden has also had more All-NBA First team selections than Westbrook as opposed to All-NBA selections in total. And while the Beard’s best known for his time in Houston, during his stint with OKC he won sixth man of the year in 2012 averaging 16.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 3.7 assists. Both players have had pretty much the same amount of spotlight and rewarding so to decide whose better strictly on awards wouldn’t be totally valid.

Now that awards and statistics are out of the way, the focus can be put on what each player is best at and what they do for their team. Harden is 100 percent the better shooter and offensive player in general. His shot percentages (both present-day and all time) are all above that of Westbrook’s. Since his arrival in Houston, he has been the number one option for the Rockets whilst Westbrook for the majority of his career has been overcast by the dominance of Kevin Durant.

Harden has proven that he has what it takes to lead an average team with little to no all-star level assistance to the playoffs. The only notable stars to come to Houston to help Harden are Dwight Howard who lasted 3 years (2013-16) averaging 16 points, 11.7 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks during his time there, and Chris Paul who just now started his second season averaging 15.2 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 8.2 assists. Harden is and has been the clear primary scorer for this Rockets team and has shown himself to be a gifted leader carrying the Rockets to Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals last season.

It is in the defensive side of things where Harden struggles. He has had numerous instances where he blatantly “forgets” to play defense. Harden also gets a lot of criticism for his trademark euro step move which is arguably to some fans just a fancy way of hiding a clear travel, and he is known to be a frequent flopper in order to draw the foul.

When it comes to Russell Westbrook he is among the league’s best in fast breaks and playmaking. However, with skills in playmaking, there also comes a skill at what can be at times an overbearing amount of turnovers. Westbrook is a very flashy player that can make an entire stadium crowd rise to their feet with anyone of his impressive slam dunks.

Although Durant may have been the number one option during most of Brodie’s time in the league Westbrook never ceased being a notable star in the league. And once KD left for Golden State Westbrook was able to lead the team himself to the playoffs whilst averaging a triple-double throughout the season. A year later he again averaged a triple-double even with the additions of all-stars Paul George and Carmelo Anthony.

Being the only player in the last 40-plus years to average a triple-double in a season (twice) may be impressive, but just like Harden, Russ gets his fair share of backlash constantly being called out for alleged stat-padding. It has been a controversial topic for years whether or not Westbrook is really about the wins or goes out of his and his teammate’s ways to get the stats. Regardless majority of the time it helps his team win.

The Thunder are currently the 3rd seed in the west just one game out of first place led by Westbrook who is (yet again) averaging a triple-double. His real test, however, will be in the playoffs as he hasn’t made it past the first round since Durant’s exit prior to the 2016-17 season.

Westbrook and Harden are both top 10 players in the league who have made impressive careers and names for themselves. And while they may differ in playstyles and such an argument can be made that either one of them is better than the other. It really all depends on what’s a bigger priority in terms of comparing players whether its stats or awards and the past or present.

At the end of the day, Westbrook may have the edge in both career and present-day team leadership, but Harden in the recent years has had more success. All in all, they’re both potential Hall of Famers with bright futures ahead.