Luka Doncic is, without any question, one of the most unguardable players in the NBA today. His ability to hit contested 3-pointers off the dribble, attack downhill, hit mid-range shots and deliver the basketball to the open man often makes him resemble a hurricane on the court. Patrick Beverley, who, not too long ago, was one of the NBA's best and peskiest perimeter defenders, recently said that Doncic was the one player he felt he could do nothing against defensively. But Jeff Teague, a one-time All-Star, has a slightly different take on the Slovenian. He said during an episode of his "Club 520 Podcast" that James Harden had an easier time scoring points than Doncic.
“I think James scored easier than Luka," Teague said. "I mean, Luka score easy as hell too. ... They both hold the ball the whole time, James is just able to manipulate the defense way easier. Like, you had to foul him or he was going to make a layup, pretty much or he was going to shoot a step-back three. It’s like you really couldn’t stop him.”
There is no doubt that Harden, when he was at his best, was a nightmare himself to guard. While his offensive game and method of attack were arguably very predictable, he was hard to stymie. During the 2017-18, 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons, he averaged a composite 33.7 points a game and led the NBA in scoring average during all three of those campaigns. But he also attempted 10.9 free throws and 7.9 assists a game during that time, and when he had the ball, the result was often either a trey, a layup or a trip to the free throw line. Many have compared Doncic's offensive bag to that of Harden. However, Harden has historically shied away from taking mid-range shots, while Doncic will take, and often make, shots from that distance. For his career, Harden has attempted 6.8% of his shots from 10 to 16 feet from the basket, while Doncic is at 14.3%. Doncic is also more efficient from that distance -- he has made 46.5% of his shot attempts from 10 to 16 feet during his career so far, while Harden has hit 42.9% of his shots from that distance. This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Former NBA All-Star: James Harden scored more easily than Luka Doncic