Curry or Harden

Serge Ibaka · 7/26/2010, 04:34 PM

I watched a little bit of the Team USA scrimmage, and every time Steph Curry did something good I felt a little sad.

Dude's a baller..he's just got it. And why isn't he on our team? He's the facilitator and shooter that everybody wants Harden to become.

Let me say: I love James Harden. And the pick is a good and sensible pick. He has good size, and I think he has a similar ceiling for craftiness as somebody like Manu Ginobli. He'll become a better shooter, and he'll absolutely be a solid off-guard for a presumably lengthy career. But man, CURRY IS GOOD.

So why not? Curry would have put 2 undersized combo-guards in the OKC back-court, and it might have hurt the chemistry a bit by showing a lack-of-confidence in Westbrook's ability to run the show by himself. But then again: maybe Curry would have fit in excellently, everybody would have gotten along, and the team would have run around the court making neat passes and raining threes.

Discuss.

**Curly Bill** · 7/26/2010, 04:36 PM

Most NBA teams didn't think Curry had the pure athleticism that they so love. Never mind that he can shoot lights out.

Mark_in_Tulsa · 7/26/2010, 05:11 PM

I would of taken Tyreke Evans before Harden.

Serge Ibaka · 7/26/2010, 06:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mark_in_Tulsa

I would of taken Tyreke Evans before Harden.

I think Tyreke--so far as skill set and attitude--actually is a bad fit for OKC though.

ndpruitt03 · 7/27/2010, 12:32 AM

I think Harden is going to be better than Curry when all is said and done. He has more raw ability than Curry. I do like Curry as a player though. We already have Tyreke Evans on our roster with Russell Westbrook.

starrca23 · 7/27/2010, 08:21 AM

There are two sides to the ball. Curry isn't big enough to defend his own shadow in the NBA. On offense, Harden doesn't get to "gun" as much as Curry. He will be much improved this year.

Serge Ibaka · 7/27/2010, 01:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by starrca23

There are two sides to the ball. Curry isn't big enough to defend his own shadow in the NBA. On offense, Harden doesn't get to "gun" as much as Curry. He will be much improved this year.

Well, to be fair, there's many off-guards in the NBA who are Curry's height--I bet he and D. Wade are the same size, and Curry probably has longer arms (which he certainly doesn't have Wade's explosiveness, but Curry will fill out as he ages).

Curry has quick feet and a high basketball-IQ; I don't want to write him off as a bad defender just because he plays in offensive-minded Golden State. He could be a fine defender.

Harden has a "better" NBA body: true. And, like I said, I really like Harden, and I think he'll be a really good player. And it was the safe pick for the Thunder.

I just wonder if the team didn't miss out on having a very special player in their backcourt.

ndpruitt03 · 7/27/2010, 01:52 PM

DWade is about 6-5 230. There's no way they are the same size. Wade is probably one of the best built players in the NBA.

Curry is skinny and a small player. He'll basically be a Steve Kerr type player his entire career.

Serge Ibaka · 7/27/2010, 02:00 PM

There's no way that DWade is 6'5. He's listed at 6'4, and he is probably 6'2.

Curry is not as well-built however, but they're about the same height.

ndpruitt03 · 7/27/2010, 02:06 PM

Even if they are close to the same height Wade is about 230 lbs. Curry is about 170.

Serge Ibaka · 7/27/2010, 02:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ndpruitt03

Even if they are close to the same height Wade is about 230 lbs. Curry is about 170.

Wade is listed at 220, and Curry is listed at 185.

Wade was once a skinnier kid too, though. Curry will get bigger.

This is all erroneous however: Curry will never be the explosive athlete the Wade is. But Curry is quick, and he's a baller through-and-through. Sure: he and Westbrook would make for an undersized back-court, but it would still be tough to guard both of them too.

Sooner04 · 7/27/2010, 02:28 PM

You can never have too many players on your team who know how to score. Curry can put the ball in the hoop.

I need to go back and take a look at Nick Zepp's pre-draft rankings the year Maravich came out. Or Isiah Thomas. I wonder what their measureables were.

GMs come and GMs go, and they often come and go because they sink or swim with two words: athleticism and upside. Words like that are why Darko Milicic gets drafted ahead of Carmelo Anthony and Dwyane Wade.

yankee · 7/27/2010, 02:34 PM

harden's ceiling is higher, but my gosh is curry fun to watch on a basketball court. not sure if he and ellis are going to work out in the long term though, as both are shoot first guards and ellis was at one point unwilling to accept curry. not sure if he totally buys into yet, but we'll see...i think at this point curry is higher regarded by the higher-ups in the GS organization.

curry's an outstanding shooter, so in retrospect it appears he would have been a great pickup by the thunder since we definitely need outside shooters. but harden has proved he's not too shabby either and he'll continue to improve his shot.

Eielson · 7/27/2010, 08:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ndpruitt03

Even if they are close to the same height Wade is about 230 lbs. Curry is about 170.

No.

ndpruitt03 · 7/27/2010, 08:39 PM

Okay I looked it up. Wade is listed at 6-4 220
Curry is listed at 6-3 185.

the_ouskull · 7/28/2010, 01:06 PM

I think that Curry would have given us two tweeners in the backcourt and would have been a defensive liability. Harden's upside is higher than Curry's, even though Curry, being older and being a four (three?) year college player, not to mention the son of a former pro player and coach, is a more polished product now. Give Harden another year. If he's not starting to "get it" by the end of this year, then maybe we did mess it up.

But I doubt it...

the_ouskull

My Opinion Matters · 8/6/2010, 09:25 AM

Tyreke Evans would have been a terrible fit on this team. Right now I still prefer Harden over Curry.

starrca23 · 8/7/2010, 12:19 PM

Both Evans and Curry need the ball enough that it would have cut into Durants touches. Harden was the right fit for the Thunder.

the_ouskull · 8/7/2010, 05:31 PM

I think that, of the lot of them, eventually, Curry will be the most efficient scorer. Harden has a chance to be a very consistent one, though, and has the potential to be a much, much better defender - and I'll take that.

the_ouskull

stoopified · 8/13/2010, 02:36 PM

The knock on Curry asI heard it was selfishness and matador D.The perception I personally had was he was ALL about scoring and nothing else.Harden fits the mold of humble,team-first players that epitomizes Thunder b-ball.