James Harden vs. Kyrie Irving head-to-head comparison

James Harden and Kyrie Irving are marquee players in today's era.

Both are fantastic playmakers who involve their teammates. However, they are much more than that as their scoring abilities are deadly. They can hit shots consistently from any range.

The two have met 14 times in their careers. This Harden vs. Irving comparison will focus on these games.

Harden has a slight edge over Irving as he is 8-6 head-to-head.

Offense comparison

Both Irving and Harden are fantastic offensive players who are extremely tough to guard. Thanks to their quickness and ability to knock down shots from beyond the arc, the guards pose a challenge even for the league's best defenders.

In their games against each other, Harden averaged 28.9 points per game while Irving averaged 24.8 ppg.

James Harden vs. Kyrie Irving - Offense comparison (Image via Sportskeeda)

The Nets point guard, however, was much more efficient as he made 46.8% of his shots, including 40.4% from 3-point range. Harden, on the other hand, shot only 39.9%, including 33.1% from the 3-point line.

"The Beard" outscored his rival nine times and also had three 40-point games. Irving's highest scoring output against Harden was 38 points in 2015.

Both have been amazing when it comes to ball distribution. The former Houston Rocket averaged 7.1 assists in the 14 games, while his opponent averaged 6.5.

Defense comparison

Neither is known for their great defense. Harden, as a matter of fact, was even called the league's worst defender for a big part of his career.

However, Harden has been more successful with stealing the ball as he's averaged 1.8 steals per game, 0.6 more than his rival. Irving has been a slightly better shot blocker with 0.6 blocks per game.

James Harden vs. Kyrie Irving - Defense comparison (Image via Sportskeeda)

During Harden's first season with the Houston Rockets, he had seven steals in one game against Irving. Back then, this was his career high in steals, but he set a record with eight steals in 2016.

James Harden vs. Kyrie Irving in the playoffs

The two have never met in the playoffs. They were teammates from January 2021 until February 2022, before Harden was traded from the Brooklyn Nets to the Philadelphia 76ers.