Stephen Curry is often credited with changing the way basketball is played in the NBA. But Paul Pierce believes James Harden deserves more credit than Curry for his impact on changing the game. He pointed out that the influx of skilled players who get to the free-throw line and make step-back threes can be linked to Harden over Curry.
“Everybody talks, they say Curry (is) the reason we play – I think a lot of the reason we play like this is James Harden… Step-back threes, everybody going into their bag, and getting to their threes. That’s James Harden, that’s not Curry…”
There is an argument to be made that James Harden has had a massive influence on the sport of basketball and how it is played.
Harden’s style of offensive onslaughts, which include several three-pointers while also trying to get to the free-throw line as much as possible has become very popular. Players like Luka Doncic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander play a very similar style of basketball to Harden.
However, to try and suggest that Harden has had a bigger impact on the NBA than Stephen Curry is ridiculous. Curry is credited for popularizing the three-point shot in the NBA, and showing players, teams, and fans that playing a style that puts the emphasis on three-point shots can lead to winning basketball.
Whereas, for as great as Harden has been as a player, he hasn’t experienced nearly the same kind of championship success that Curry has. Curry is a 4-time NBA champion and a former Finals MVP. Whereas Harden has never won an NBA championship and hasn’t even reached the NBA Finals since becoming an All-Star player after leaving the Thunder in 2012.
Stephen Curry Continuing To Play At High Level
Another argument in favor of Stephen Curry over James Harden is the state of their careers at this point in time. Both players entered the NBA in 2009, with Harden being drafted third overall and Curry being drafted seventh overall. Despite this, Curry has sustained his level and is still one of the best players in the entire league.
Whereas James Harden has experienced a steady decline in his performance in the last few seasons. You can compare this when you look at their numbers from what many consider their best seasons to now.
For example, in 2015-16 Stephen Curry was named the unanimous MVP, he averaged 30.1 points, 6.7 assists, 5.4 rebounds, 2.1 steals, and 0.2 blocks per game.
This season, Curry is averaging 23.9 points, 6.6 assists, 4.8 rebounds, 1.8 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game. While his scoring numbers have dropped, he has been consistent in every other statistical category and is still scoring at a high level.
Whereas, James Harden had his best season in 2017-18, when he averaged 30.4 points, 8.8 assists, 5.4 rebounds, 1.8 steals, and 0.7 blocks per game.
Whereas this season, he is averaging 20.7 points, 8.8 assists, 8.2 rebounds, 1.7 steals, and 0.8 blocks per game. Harden’s scoring average has dropped by almost 10 points, while his other stats have remained the same.
There is no denying both Harden and Curry are two of the most impactful players in the history of the game. But Curry’s impact on the sport of basketball might go beyond any other player in the modern era.
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