Harden was part of some historic offenses for sure, but it’s important to note that offenses since like 2016 have exploded in terms of average efficiency, mostly due to rule interpretations/changes and strategy (cutting out long 2s, 4/5 out spacing, etc). Thinking bball has a good video on this. It’s hard to look at Harden’s numbers and believe they are not hugely a product of the era. Harden might be a better pure passer than them, but he also benefits from playing in an era that maximizes that talent.
Thinking bball also has a good video on playoff drops offs which show no player sees a bigger drop off from regular season to the playoffs than Harden (if you ignore Steph’s playoff injuries): https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=BtL_zCF6qgQ
The way this game has been reffed is insane. At least give us the same calls as the nuggets.