Spencer Dinwiddie explains what makes Luka Doncic a better player than James Harden.
Spencer Dinwiddie has had the chance to play with several stars in the NBA, sharing touches with players that have made a big impact on the league and are still performing at the best level.
From MVP D'Angelo Russell, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Durant to Bradley Beal, James Harden, and now Luka Doncic. The guard has been placed in very good situations, but he doesn't have the best memories of some of them.
Now that he's in Dallas sharing touches with Doncic, Dinwiddie appreciates the Slovenian player while explaining some things he didn't like from his prior teammates, especially James Harden.
Spencer Dinwiddie Has A Big Explanation Of The Differences Between James Harden And Luka Doncic
During a recent conversation on Outta Pocket, Dinwiddie talked about the differences between Doncic and Harden, two players with a similar style of play but with a big difference in the eyes of Spencer (44:50 mark).
"I don't necessarily think it's a bad comp. I think where there's a separation between Luca and Harden--I think Harden probably played with a little more pace so that is where I would give him an edge. But the edges that I would give Luka, and these are pretty big ones, he participates in the defensive end. Harden, obviously, is a phenomenal player, athletically gifted and capable of doing so much... I don't think he did. I think Luka does have some athletic deficiencies but he definitely participates and tries... He puts effort there. And also, offensively, he's a better post-up player than Harden was."
Dinwiddie explained that they have similarities like the ball dominance, the step-back 3-pointer, the passing ability, and their level and quality to aspire to win MVP trophies, but made it clear that the differences were big.
Now Harden is having a different role on the Philadelphia 76ers, trying to be the sidekick of Joel Embiid. This doesn't mean that he can't have big nights where he goes off on his rivals, but it's not like he's the one carrying his team. Meanwhile, Luka is on the other side of the street, trying to lead the Mavericks to the NBA Finals, something that Harden never did with the Houston Rockets.
The comparisons between them aren't as common as before, but you see that the similarities are there, and that won't change.
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