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Houston Rockets GM: James Harden is better scorer than Michael Jordan

By Connor Grott
Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) averaged a career-high 36.1 points per game last season. File Photo by Terry Schmitt/UPI
Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) averaged a career-high 36.1 points per game last season. File Photo by Terry Schmitt/UPI | License Photo

Aug. 16 (UPI) -- Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey believes superstar guard James Harden is a better scorer than Chicago Bulls icon Michael Jordan.

In an interview published Thursday on the "Selfmade with Nadeshot" podcast, Morey said it's "factual" that Harden is better at scoring.

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"It's just factual that James Harden is a better scorer than Michael Jordan," Morey said. "Based on literally, like you give James Harden the ball and before you're giving up the ball how many points do you generate? Which is how you should measure offense. James Harden is by far No. 1 in NBA history."

Harden, who was named the league's MVP in the 2017-18 season, is a two-time NBA scoring champion. He has increased his points per game average every year since the 2013-14 campaign, including a career-high 36.1 points per game last season.

Jordan, who was a 10-time scoring champion and five-time NBA MVP, averaged over 30 points per game in eight of his 15 seasons in the league.

Harden has the advantage in advanced metrics, including effective field goal percentage and true shooting percentage. His effective field goal percentage, which values 3-pointers more than 2-pointers, sits at 52.5 percent compared to Jordan's 50.9 percent.

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Harden's true shooting percentage, which includes free throws, stands at 60.9 percent compared to Jordan's 56.9 percent. Despite Harden's slight edge in metrics, Morey acknowledged that Jordan's numbers could vary if he played in the league's current 3-point era.

"The counterargument is reasonable," Morey said. "They say if you put Michael Jordan on a team now he would do more than James Harden. That's possible. But if you're just saying, 'NBA history, if you give this guy the ball, how much does his team score after you give him the ball before the other team gets the ball?' It's James Harden. And I know that makes people mad, but it's literally a fact."

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