'Why Not Give James Harden His Love?': Jamal Crawford Claims Luka Doncic Hypocrisy
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Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic is currently achieving one of the more historically robust individual seasons in NBA history. Coming off a Western Conference Finals appearance, he's averaging 33.4 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 8.2 assists and has scored 50 points four times.
Doncic's latest brilliant performance featured him scoring 53 points against the Detroit Pistons in a 111-105 win. He needed to shoulder the load from the start, scoring 24 of the Mavs' first 30 points through the opening period. He ended up being outscored by his teammates by only five total points, but he took only 24 shots to their 55.
Some like to make comparisons between Doncic and what James Harden was doing during his time with the Houston Rockets. During an appearance on TNT, former NBA player Jamal Crawford expressed a belief that Harden hasn't received "his love" from around the NBA for achieving similar statistical feats in the past that Doncic is currently producing.
"The stuff you see with Luka [Doncic] doing right now, you go back and look Harden is doing all the same things," Crawford said. "Why do we not give [James] Harden his love when he was doing all the same numbers in Houston?"
Harden had produced no shortage of impressive individual feats. He would drop 30, 40, or 50 points in a game like it was easy, often putting up a triple-double in the process. His inability to make an early, deep postseason run as a superstar proved to be negatively impactful for how he's now discussed. It didn't help that there often were viral clips of his defensive shortcomings.
For all of the criticism that Harden has faced, he still earned an MVP for the production that he had. It's difficult to say that he wasn't appreciated enough for what he had achieved at the time, either. Many consider him as a first-ballot Hall of Fame inductee once he retires and one of the best shooting guards in NBA history.
What Harden didn't face was bizarre pre-draft criticisms because he played in the PAC-12 as opposed to EuroLeague. Doncic has since solidified himself as a three-time All-NBA First-Time recipient. However, Harden has received that honor six times along with being named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team, making it further confusing to say he hasn't been given his flowers.
A key differentiating factor from Doncic's current impact compared to Harden's Houston career is the more layered way in which the Slovenian superstar can counter a defense. Both players rip the defense apart with pick-and-roll and isolation prowess, but Doncic's 6-foot-7 frame coupled with his greater short-range and post-up game offer different ways to attack.
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