Contemporaries · overlapped 8 seasons
Paul Pierce vs James Harden
Paul Pierce and James Harden were contemporaries, their careers overlapping for 8 seasons. On the floor, James Harden was the higher-volume scorer (24.0 points per game to 19.7); James Harden was the more efficient scorer (64.1% true shooting to 56.8%); James Harden created more for others (7.3 assists per game to 3.5). James Harden holds the edge on accolades — 1 MVP and the #41 all-time ranking to Paul Pierce's #52.
Career averages
| Paul Pierce | Stat | James Harden |
|---|
| 19.7 |
Points / game |
24.0 |
| 5.6 |
Rebounds / game |
5.6 |
| 3.5 |
Assists / game |
7.3 |
| 1.3 |
Steals / game |
1.5 |
| 0.5 |
Blocks / game |
0.6 |
| 44.4% |
Field goal % |
43.8% |
| 36.8% |
3-point % |
36.5% |
| 80.8% |
Free throw % |
86.0% |
| 56.8% |
True shooting % |
64.1% |
| 1,343 |
Games played |
1,221 |
Advanced metrics
| Paul Pierce | Stat | James Harden |
|---|
| 104.7 |
Offensive rating |
115.0 |
| 101.7 |
Defensive rating |
109.4 |
| 3.1 |
Net rating |
5.5 |
| 0.2% |
Usage % |
28.6% |
| 0.1% |
Assist % |
34.7% |
| 0.1% |
Rebound % |
7.9% |
Playoff averages
| Paul Pierce | Stat | James Harden |
|---|
| 18.7 |
Points / game |
22.5 |
| 5.8 |
Rebounds / game |
5.5 |
| 3.4 |
Assists / game |
6.5 |
| 1.2 |
Steals / game |
1.6 |
| 0.6 |
Blocks / game |
0.6 |
| 42.2% |
Field goal % |
43.0% |
| 35.1% |
3-point % |
34.7% |
| 82.4% |
Free throw % |
86.5% |
| 170 |
Playoff games |
173 |
Accolades
| Paul Pierce | Stat | James Harden |
|---|
| 0 |
MVP awards |
1 |
| 1 |
Finals MVP |
0 |
| 1 |
Championships |
0 |
| 10 |
All-Star selections |
10 |
| 0 |
All-NBA 1st Team |
6 |
| #52 |
All-time GOAT rank |
#41 |