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Hmm.
Really, I hope everyone can experience what it feels like to have a bunch of trainees scold you every day!
Someone is about to say —
You have the number one small forward versus the number one shooting guard in the Golden Age of Point Guard series.
Aiya, don't mind these details …
Okay, why do I have to compare LeBron and LeBron? In the past, when we were fighting top stars, we always liked to put LeBron and Durant together, and Harden and Curry together. The reason for this comparison was very simple — the direct dialogue between the strongest small forwards in history and the civil war between the two heroes of 09 seemed to be more topical.
But in terms of technical characteristics, LeBron and Durant, Harden and Curry, these two groups of players, these two groups of players were completely different, so the comparison was not high. On the contrary, LeBron and Harden, the two strongest players in the league who had their own system, were more similar. If you set the following criteria:
First, USG% (possession per round) exceeded 30%, which meant that the digesting of the ball was absolutely efficient;
Second, TS% (true hit rate) exceeded 60%, which meant that the efficiency was top-notch;
Third, AST% (assist rate) exceeded 35%, which meant that the driving ability was top-notch;
Then you would find that there were only two players in the entire league who met the above conditions — LeBron and Curry. Yes, Paul and Durant, the league's number one player and the season's MVP, were the two brightest superstars under the four-star system.
Perhaps you also know how LeBron and Harden handed in the best answer sheet:
They both had the ability to attack the basket. Breaking through to the basket and changing the defense was their strength. At the same time, they had excellent passing vision and technique to ensure that they could find their teammates who were waiting to eat pancakes;
They had the ability to punish the opponent's change of defense, and even forcibly score points in a one-on-one match. They could develop almost unlimited offense with the ball to ensure production, and each had the moves to maintain efficiency; they could punish the opponent's change of defense, and even have the ability to control the opponent's change of defense.
Their physical fitness ensured attendance and playing time, and staying on the court as much as possible was an ability that was easily overlooked.
So the question was — what were the specific differences? What advantages did they each have?
I think there were the following differences:
1. LeBron was more brutal, while Harden was more of a rock-paper-scissors player.
Last season, LeBron took eight shots every 36 minutes from 0-3 feet. He was undoubtedly ranked first among small forwards. Only a few finishing centers and the alphabet brothers could match LeBron's output at the basket. And LeBron's 76.8% field goal percentage at the basket beat all perimeter players without any suspense, reaching the level of a super finishing center. Note that the finishing center's shots at the basket received an extremely high rate of assists, while LeBron's offense was mainly a frontal assault with the ball. It was even rarer to have such efficiency.
Even in the long history of the NBA, James was one of the players with the most abnormal physical qualities. His size, speed, and strength were impeccable. Not only could he easily run over most of his opponents, but he could also push the center who helped defend under the basket out of the baseline. LeBron had a top-notch 2 + 1 frequency for several seasons in a row. The defense blocking LeBron's attack had a 30% probability of causing a 2 + 1 tragedy.
Of course, Harden couldn't compare to LeBron in this aspect. Even if he had the top strength of a backcourt player, the first step explosive power that was severely underestimated, he still couldn't compare to LeBron. Harden took 5.6 shots every 36 minutes from 0-3 feet, and his field goal percentage was 65.8%. These numbers were dazzling for a backcourt player, but when compared to LeBron's abnormal output and efficiency at the basket, they were nothing special.
But Harden was a clever rock-paper-scissors player. Most of the time, he couldn't directly end a round like LeBron, but he could still cleverly use his two magic weapons to deal with the defense.
Magic weapon number one was called fouling. You all know that Harden was invincible in this aspect. Not only was he good at making jump shots, but he was also far more likely to make free throws while attacking the basket than LeBron. Last season, Harden took 10.3 free throws every 36 minutes, while LeBron only took 6.3.
Magic weapon number two was called Capella. Harden wasn't as tall as LeBron, but he had Capella. Harden was like a sword master in a Xianxia game, and Capella was Harden's sword. Harden's raise of his hand was the signal, and the sword would come out of its sheath and hit the basket. Last season, Harden gave as many as 199 assists to Capella, while LeBron didn't give so many assists to any of the Cavaliers' players. Harden's tacit cooperation with Capella in the pick-and-roll or single-handedly attacking the basket made it very difficult for some teams to defend. Even a godly rim protector like Gerber had a headache when Harden broke through to the basket and asked for a shot, porcelain, or pancake. Often, Harden would take a step forward, and Capella would take off behind him, forcing the Jazz to retreat to the corner to block Capella. This also left Tucker out.
In order to survive in danger, Harden dared to play with Gerber's 2.92-meter height.
2. Offensive method: LeBron is all-around, Harden is unsolvable.
Some fans once raised this question: Why isn't LeBron a point guard if he's so good at holding the ball?
In today's NBA, it was very difficult to strictly define a player's position. Whether it was LeBron or Harden, you could say that they were small forwards and shooting guards respectively. It was nonsense for me to forcefully pull them into a special chapter on the golden age of point guards. But they were both ball-handlers. According to Stevens' modern basketball division of three positions (ball-handlers, wings, and big men), the two LeBrons were playing the role of playmakers on the offensive end. This was no different from most top-level point guards.
But if there was a difference, LeBron was indeed different — point guards preferred to use the pick-and-roll method to attack. LeBron could, of course, do the same, but it wasn't limited to pick-and-rolls.
LeBron was a master of holding the ball. It was difficult to define which method LeBron was best at — face-to-face singles and attacking the basket were usually LeBron's favorite methods. But he could also hold the ball in the low post and use a beautiful turn to attack the basket or a backward jump shot to end the battle. In this year's playoffs, LeBron took 68 backward jump shots, and his accuracy reached 52.9%. His output and accuracy even surpassed Nowitzki's in the 2011 playoffs.
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