SGA or James Harden? Former NBA champion makes his pick

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and James Harden are often compared to each other. It’s easy to see why.

Both players have spent a portion of their careers playing for OKC, each owns an NBA MVP award and a league scoring title, or in Harden’s case, three league scoring titles, and both guards are known for/criticized for perceived foul-baiting.

The comparisons are valid. So too is the status of each player as being among the league’s all-time greats.

On the most recent episode of the All the Smoke podcast, former NBA champion, Vernon Maxwell, jumped into the debate of which player’s better: prime Harden or SGA.

When asked by cohost Matt Barnes who he was taking “as a player and a scorer,” Maxwell answered: “That’s tough. … James, you know I love you and your mom. … I’m sorry, but I’m gonna go with SGA.”

Mad Max’s choosing of Gilgeous-Alexander caught Barnes off guard. He insinuated that SGA’s game is modeled after Harden’s best years. Which, frankly, adds up. “I thought it was James,” Barnes remarked. “… I remember during James’ run and James’ greatness, he was drawing fouls at an alarming rate.

“(Harden) was able to run into you and get those arms out and draw those fouls. And SGA has found a way to run into you, get his shoulder or his forearm into you and draw those fouls too.”

It’s tough to argue with either Maxwell or Barnes’ take. What can’t be argued is the similarities in Harden and Gilgeous-Alexander’s games. Both play below the rim, score in bunches and spend plenty of time at the charity stripe.

Harden’s averaged 8.2 free throw attempts per game throughout his career, including a career-high of 11.8 in the ’19-20 season. He’s a career 24.1 ppg scorer, which matches his ppg total this season between two teams, the Clippers and Cavaliers. SGA, by comparison, has averaged 7.3 free throw attempts per game, albeit, in a much shorter career. During the ’22-23 campaign he was shooting from the line just under 11 times per night, the most of any of his eight NBA seasons. He’s a 25.2 ppg scorer throughout his career, including an average 31.7 this season.

Pick your poison. Either way you’re ending up with death by free throw.