Harden and Dame outstrip Jimmy in most accolades and are generally more lauded in the media.
- Points 25k & 20k vs 14k.
- PPG
- Assists 7k and 5k vs 3k.
- All-NBA 7 and 7 vs 5, etc
After a certain point, the value of regular season achievements incrementally diminish. Jimmy has 8/9 all star calibre seasons which is enough longevity for me.
Superstars are viewed on their playoff performances. Legends judged on rings.
Jimmy corralled unlikely rosters to two finals and was an inch away from a 3rd finals, all as the primary/sole superstar. He’s shown this transformative leadership on 4 different teams. He dropped a 40 point triple double on LeBron in the finals, a 56 point monster on the Bucks. Harden and Dame don’t have this kind of playoff resumes.
I love Dame and Harden. And Steph and Luka and all three level crazy ball handlers. Jimmy is more mechanical and that translates well to the playoff squeeze. He’s two-way, mentally resilient and floor-raising in ways Harden and Dame aren’t.
Jimmy has achieved more with lesser rosters and should be ranked higher.
Boy, this is tough. I think Harden is more talented overall, but I’d prefer both Jimmy and Dame in the clutch. Dame might be even more clutch than Jimmy, but Jimmy’s defensive skills are significantly better than Dame’s or Harden’s.
Jimmy’s also less selfish than the other two; more willing to sacrifice stats for the team— a lot of great players get penalized for not putting up gaudy stats when they could if they really focused on it.
So, yes, I’ll buy into the idea that Jimmy is greater than either Harden or Dame.