Max Kellerman says James Harden is a better point guard than Russell Westbrook, gets hilariously shut down by Kendrick Perkins.
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Russell Westbrook and James Harden have both had very good performances this campaign. While one of them has been breaking records like nobody’s business, the other has made some massive sacrifices to win a championship this season.
Many have said that, despite their different styles and approaches to the game, the two players have an identical level of passion to win at the highest level. And somehow, it seems that ESPN analyst Max Kellerman thinks that the two players play the same position as well.
On a recent episode of ‘First Take’, Max Kellerman gushed on and on about how the Beard was a better point guard than Russ. And as soon as he was done, Big Perk dismissed the analyst’s opinion hilariously. Let’s get into it.
Kendrick Perkins backs Russell Westbrook ranking on his list
On a recent episode of First Take, former NBA player turned analyst, Kendrick Perkins was asked to give his top-5 point guards of all time. This was his response.
- Magic Johnson
- Isiah Thomas
- Stephen Curry
- Russell Westbrook
- Chris Paul
A fairly acceptable list, right? Well, not for Max Kellerman it seems.
The tenured ESPN analyst seemed aggrieved that James Harden had been left off the list, despite all his impact. But Perkins soon shut it down. Take a look.
Hey @kendrickperkins: I can tell you who’s better than Russell Westbrook. Ever heard of James Harden? pic.twitter.com/utuwtAosjf
— Max Kellerman (@maxkellerman) May 11, 2021
“You want to say Westbrook fits in with the other great point guards who never won a championship… AI, Steve Nash, Jason Kidd, Chris Paul… where they rank next to each other, you can make arguments on either side of that. I’m saying there are some dudes you’re going to lose the argument to, like James Harden.”
The analyst continued:
“My whole issue with James Harden is that he hasn’t come through deep in the playoffs, but neither has Westbrook. And year in and year out, Harden is a more valuable player… How do you have James Harden off your list?”
After hearing Max Kellerman say his piece for as long as he did, Kendrick Perkins simply said this.
“When James Harden’s career is over with, he is not going to go down as a point guard… he is going to be known as a shooting guard. That is James Harden’s position: he is a shooting guard who can make plays for others… he only played point guard two years of his career Max.”
While it is true that James Harden now plays as the point guard for the Brooklyn Nets, he has been the shooting guard for most of his years. In fact, his style, while more team-friendly now, still holds more resemblance to a two than a one.
Perhaps one day James Harden could prove himself to be one of the best point guards to ever lace up. But, the player has to spend more time playing at the position before that can happen.
Also Read: Shaquille O’Neal reveals his true playing weight from his peak Lakers and Miami Heat days
