![\"James](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Screenshot-5-3-10.50PM-edited.jpg\")
(Mandatory Credit: AP Photo\/David Zalubowski)<\/p>\n(Mandatory Credit: AP Photo\/David Zalubowski)<\/p>\n
While the Miami Heat were promptly swept by the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers last week, there were still two first-round series that had yet to wrap up. One of them includes Jimmy Butler\u2019s Golden State Warriors against his hometown Houston Rockets; the other includes Kawhi Leonard, James Harden and the Los Angeles Clippers against Nikola Jokic, a three-time MVP, and the Denver Nuggets.<\/p>\n
Both of those series were extended to the full seven games, with the Nuggets and Clippers wrapping theirs up Saturday night. The Nuggets secured a 19-point win at home, though arguably the biggest storyline from Saturday was Harden, once again, shriveling when the lights turned brightest, further quieting a puzzling online debate between him and Dwyane Wade.<\/p>\n
No, James Harden\u2019s not better than Dwyane Wade. Let\u2019s stop acting like it:<\/p>\n
Maybe it\u2019s because I\u2019m online too much, but a loud minority of individuals plaguing the interwebs\u2013yes, we\u2019re looking at you<\/a>, Jeff Teague\u2013believe Harden is either better than the Heat\u2019s all-time great, or in the conversation of being better.<\/p>\n No, no he isn\u2019t. Let\u2019s talk about why.<\/p>\n Both are phenomenal regular-season players who elevated their team\u2019s floor and ceiling for the full 82-game slate. Harden had the greater counting stats in the regular season due to his inflated usage rate. But Wade was the far superior two-way player, and Saturday was another episode of Harden being gone with the wind when his team needed him most in the playoffs.<\/p>\n He finished with just seven points on 2-of-8 shooting Saturday, adding five rebounds, a game-high 13 assists and two steals. Harden\u2019s mixed a couple of good elimination game performances over his career; he overcame those woes in Game 6 mere days ago. But his shortcomings far supersede his best when the lights turn brightest, including in Game 7s.<\/p>\n Two seasons ago, Harden scored just nine points and seven assists (to five turnovers) on 3-of-11 shooting in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semis against the Boston Celtics. In 2019-20 against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Harden had 17 points on 4-of-15 shooting (1-9 3PA) in 37 minutes; in 2020-21 with the Nets against Milwaukee, Harden had 22 points on 17 shots in 53 minutes\u2013a game famous for Kevin Durant\u2019s shoe barely being on the 3-point line to force overtime (instead of winning in regulation).<\/p>\n I could go on, but the history is too damning. Harden\u2019s a great regular season player. Not in the postseason. Wade\u2019s playoff history isn\u2019t perfect, but it\u2019s certainly not as detrimental as his counterpart\u2019s.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t forget Wade\u2019s four-game superman heroics in the 2006 NBA Finals, averaging 39.3 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.5 steals from Games 3-7 after the Dirk Nowitzki-led Dallas Mavericks opened with a 2-0 series lead. Or when Wade averaged 22.7 points and 4.9 assists on 54.6 percent true shooting in the three NBA Finals thereafter alongside LeBron James, including being the team\u2019s best player in their 2011 disasterclass to Dallas. Or when he went on a three-game terror in the East semis against Indiana in 2011, including a 41-point, 10-rebound performance in a series-clinching Game 6.<\/p>\n Wade didn\u2019t fold with his back against the wall. If I\u2019m evaluating the all-time greats, the entire piece of the pie matters, not just what happened over the regular season. There\u2019s no denying that Harden will go down as one of the greatest shooting guards ever and one of the most gifted passers ever for his position.<\/p>\n But he\u2019s no Dwyane Wade. Let\u2019s not get it twisted.<\/p>\n ***<\/p>\n To check out our other content, click\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Follow Hot Hot Hoops on Twitter\/X\u00a0here<\/a>!<\/p>\n Follow Hot Hot Hoops on Instagram\u00a0here<\/a>!<\/p>\n Subscribe to our YouTube channel\u00a0here<\/a>!<\/p>\n \t\t\t