What If... James Harden stayed with Oklahoma City Thunder instead of Russell Westbrook?

by Matthew Wellington from http://www.sixthmanjournal.com/2014/11/12/when-the-mighty-fall/

          The arrival of James Harden to the Houston Rockets has made him an All-Star if not a Hall of Famer. He has revived the city of Houston thanks to his ability to break down defense averaging over 25 points per game in each of the three seasons with the Rockets. My question is what would his impact  if he stayed and played alongside Kevin Durant instead of Russell Westbrook. Would they have been a better duo than Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook? Let's think about it and see the differences between the two dynamic superstars. Both players are ball dominant meaning they're effective when the ball is in their hands. They can create their own shots and there has been many controversies in a few instances when Westbrook attempts more shots than Durant. But when Westbrook is on his A game, there is no one who is as fast and aggressive as he is. On the other hand, James Harden has numerous isolation moves making him hard to predict what's his next move. If I have to pick which player would be better, there is so many other factors to take into consideration.

          Let's compare Russell Westbrook and James Harden side by side. From a free throw standpoint, James Harden is a better free throw shooter and goes to the line more often. But that's not to say Westbrook doesn't go to the line as much. On average, Harden attempts 9.0 attempts per game and Westbrook attempts 8.6 per game. Both players are always in attack mode and as a result, this category would have to go to James Harden by a small margin because he has the ability to create space with his fancy footwork. Durant would be glad whomever is his sidekick because there is less pressure and knowing there's another player he can kick the ball out when he a double team comes to him. Moving on, the fast -break department would be in Westbrook's favor. As Steve Smith of NBATV quotes "little rage", Westbrook is fearless on the break. He can stop on a dime and pull up for a jumper. His ability to blow by two or three players and score with his speed is amazing to watch and soak in. Sometimes people refer to him as the one man's fast-break. They are special in their own ways which is why both players earned a spot on the All-Star roster.

          When it comes to the other categories, Westbrook is the better rebounder especially playing the point guard position. He can really get up there and one of few point guards who has an inside and outside game. As for passing, both players can distribute the ball, keeping their teammates involved. They can also get you a couple of steals a night which shows you James Harden can play defense. When James Harden was traded to the Houston Rockets, people were noticing more on his defense than offense. On several occasions, he can be a little tired but that's because he consumes his energy on scoring. His defense is undervalued and he has improved over time. Overall it's tough to say which is the better teammate for Kevin Durant if he had to pick one. Who would you pick?