James Harden vs. Anfernee Simons Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Anfernee Simons and James Harden, from their rookie seasons to their last year played, in chronological order with awards, stats, championships and playoff performance of their teams every year.

Player comparisons:
Career comparison / Season by season / Scoring / Stats / Stats Rankings / Games against each other

Who had the better rookie season? Who had best stats in their 10th season? Who won a championship first? These questions and many others, are answered here.

James Harden played 16 years in the NBA, 9 more than Anfernee Simons, who played 7. James Harden had the first of his seasons in 2009-10, while Anfernee Simons had his rookie season in 2018-19. With that starting point, here you can take a look at each of their seasons side by side and compare how their careers evolved in achievements, awards and championships won, the stats they recorded both in the Regular Season and the Playoffs and how their teams performed in the postseason.

Their Careers

Player		 Total Seasons Playoffs Played NBA Years
James Harden 16 16 2009-10 to 2024-25
Anfernee Simons 7 3 2018-19 to 2024-25

Comparison Season by Season

Jump to season:

1-2-3-4-5-6-7

Rookie Season
James Harden Anfernee Simons
Season 2009-102018-19
Team Oklahoma City ThunderPortland Trail Blazers
Honors & Awards Achievement All-Rookie Second Team-
Playoffs Thunder Lost West Conf 1st RdTrail Blazers Lost West Conf Finals
more >>
Rookie Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
James Harden 76 22.9 9.9 0.6 2.6 3.2 1.8 1.1 0.3 1.4 2.6 3.1 7.6 .403 1.2 3.3 .375 2.6 3.2 .808
difference:+56+15.8+6.1+0.4+2.1+2.5+1.1+1.0+0.3-0.8-2.1+1.7+4.4+.041+0.7+1.8+.030+2.1+2.4+.245
Anfernee Simons 20 7.1 3.8 0.2 0.5 0.7 0.7 0.1 0.0 0.6 0.5 1.4 3.2 .444 0.5 1.5 .345 0.5 0.8 .563
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
James Harden 6 20.0 7.7 0.2 2.3 2.5 1.8 1.0 0.2 0.5 2.3 2.0 5.2 .387 1.0 2.7 .375 2.7 3.2 .842
difference:+1+17.6+6.9+0.2+2.3+2.5+1.8+0.8+0.2-0.5-1.9+2.0+3.8+.387+1.0+2.3+.375+1.9+2.2+.042
Anfernee Simons 5 2.4 0.8 0.0 0.0 0 0.0 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.4 0.0 1.4 .000 0.0 0.4 .000 0.8 1.0 .800

Season 2
James Harden Anfernee Simons
Season 2010-112019-20
Team Oklahoma City ThunderPortland Trail Blazers
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Thunder Lost West Conf FinalsTrail Blazers Lost West Conf 1st Rd
more >>
2nd Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
James Harden 82 26.7 12.2 0.5 2.6 3.1 2.1 1.1 0.3 1.3 2.5 3.6 8.3 .436 1.4 4.0 .349 3.5 4.2 .843
difference:+12+6.0+3.9+0.1+0.8+0.9+0.7+0.7+0.2-0.4-0.6+0.5+0.6+.037+0.3+0.8+.017+2.4+2.9+.017
Anfernee Simons 70 20.7 8.3 0.4 1.8 2.2 1.4 0.4 0.1 0.9 1.9 3.1 7.7 .399 1.1 3.2 .332 1.1 1.3 .826
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
James Harden 17 31.6 13.0 0.6 4.8 5.4 3.6 1.2 0.8 1.6 2.8 3.9 8.2 .475 1.4 4.5 .303 3.9 4.7 .825
difference:+13+11.1+6.2+0.3+2.3+2.6+1.1+0.3+0.8-0.6-1.0+1.9+1.7+.167+0.1+1.0+.126+2.6+3.2+.008
Anfernee Simons 4 20.5 6.8 0.3 2.5 2.8 2.5 1.5 0.0 1.0 1.8 2.0 6.5 .308 1.5 3.5 .429 1.3 1.5 .833

Season 3
James Harden Anfernee Simons
Season 2011-122020-21
Team Oklahoma City ThunderPortland Trail Blazers
Honors & Awards Achievement Sixth Man of the Year-
Playoffs Thunder Lost NBA FinalsTrail Blazers Lost West Conf 1st Rd
more >>
3rd Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
James Harden 62 31.4 16.8 0.5 3.6 4.1 3.7 1.0 0.2 2.2 2.4 5.0 10.1 .491 1.8 4.7 .390 5.0 6.0 .846
difference:+2+14.1+9.0+0.3+1.6+1.9+2.3+0.7+0.1-1.5-0.9+2.4+3.8+.072+0.1+0.3+.036+4.3+5.1+.039
Anfernee Simons 64 17.3 7.8 0.2 2.0 2.2 1.4 0.3 0.1 0.7 1.5 2.6 6.3 .419 1.9 4.4 .426 0.7 0.9 .807
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
James Harden 20 31.5 16.3 0.7 4.5 5.1 3.4 1.6 0.1 2.1 3.4 4.7 10.7 .435 1.6 3.9 .410 5.4 6.3 .857
difference:+14+13.7+9.8+0.2+2.3+2.4+2.6+1.3+0.1-1.9-2.4+2.4+6.5+.125+0.2+0.9+.201+5.4+6.3
Anfernee Simons 6 17.8 6.5 0.5 2.2 2.7 0.8 0.3 0.2 0.2 1.0 2.3 4.2 .560 1.8 3.0 .611 0.0 0.0 -

Season 4
James Harden Anfernee Simons
Season 2012-132021-22
Team Houston RocketsPortland Trail Blazers
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA Third Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Rockets Lost West Conf 1st RdDid Not Play
more >>
4th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
James Harden 78 38.3 25.9 0.8 4.1 4.9 5.8 1.8 0.5 3.8 2.3 7.5 17.1 .438 2.3 6.2 .368 8.6 10.2 .851
difference:+21+8.8+8.6+0.3+1.9+2.3+1.9+1.3+0.4-1.8-0.4+1.3+3.1+.005+0.8+1.6+.037+6.8+8.2+.037
Anfernee Simons 57 29.5 17.3 0.5 2.2 2.6 3.9 0.5 0.1 2.0 1.9 6.2 14.0 .443 3.1 7.8 .405 1.8 2.0 .888
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
James Harden 6 40.5 26.3 0.8 5.8 6.7 4.5 2.0 1.0 4.5 3.0 7.5 19.2 .391 2.5 7.3 .341 8.8 11.0 .803
Anfernee Simons DNP------ --- ----------

Season 5
James Harden Anfernee Simons
Season 2013-142022-23
Team Houston RocketsPortland Trail Blazers
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA First Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Rockets Lost West Conf 1st RdDid Not Play
more >>
5th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
James Harden 73 38.0 25.4 0.8 3.9 4.7 6.1 1.6 0.4 3.6 2.4 7.5 16.5 .456 2.4 6.6 .366 7.9 9.1 .866
difference:+11+3.0+4.3+0.5+1.6+2.1+2.0+0.9+0.2-1.5-0.1+0.4+.009+1.0+2.5+.011+5.3+6.2+.028
Anfernee Simons 62 35.0 21.1 0.3 2.3 2.6 4.1 0.7 0.2 2.1 2.3 7.5 16.9 .447 3.4 9.1 .377 2.6 2.9 .894
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
James Harden 6 43.8 26.8 0.8 3.8 4.7 5.8 2.0 0.2 3.5 3.5 8.3 22.2 .376 2.7 9.0 .296 7.5 8.3 .900
Anfernee Simons DNP------ --- ----------

Season 6
James Harden Anfernee Simons
Season 2014-152023-24
Team Houston RocketsPortland Trail Blazers
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA First Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Rockets Lost West Conf FinalsDid Not Play
more >>
6th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
James Harden 81 36.8 27.4 0.9 4.7 5.7 7.0 1.9 0.7 4.0 2.6 8.0 18.1 .440 2.6 6.9 .375 8.8 10.2 .868
difference:+35+2.4+4.8+0.4+1.5+2.1+1.5+1.4+0.6-1.3-0.5+0.2+0.1+.010+0.8+1.9+.010+5.3+6.3+.048
Anfernee Simons 46 34.4 22.6 0.5 3.2 3.6 5.5 0.5 0.1 2.7 2.1 7.8 18.2 .430 3.4 8.8 .385 3.5 3.9 .916
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
James Harden 17 37.4 27.2 0.7 5.0 5.7 7.5 1.6 0.4 4.5 2.9 7.6 17.3 .439 2.4 6.3 .383 9.6 10.5 .916
Anfernee Simons DNP------ --- ----------

Season 7
James Harden Anfernee Simons
Season 2015-162024-25
Team Houston RocketsPortland Trail Blazers
Honors & Awards Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Rockets Lost West Conf 1st RdDid Not Play
more >>
7th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
James Harden 82 38.1 29.0 0.8 5.3 6.1 7.5 1.7 0.6 4.6 2.8 8.7 19.7 .439 2.9 8.0 .359 8.8 10.2 .860
difference:+12+5.4+9.7+0.4+3.0+3.4+2.7+0.8+0.5-2.6-1.1+1.9+3.6+.013+0.2+0.5+.004+6.3+7.4+.042
Anfernee Simons 70 32.7 19.3 0.4 2.3 2.7 4.8 0.9 0.1 2.0 1.7 6.8 16.1 .426 3.1 8.5 .363 2.5 2.8 .902
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
James Harden 5 38.6 26.6 1.4 3.8 5.2 7.6 2.4 0.2 5.2 2.6 8.2 20.0 .410 2.6 8.4 .310 7.6 9.0 .844
Anfernee Simons DNP------ --- ----------

Additional Years

* James Harden played 9 seasons more than Anfernee Simons in the NBA.

In that period—his seasons 8 to 16, from 2017 to 2025—James Harden played in 9 Playoffs.

In those 9 extra years over Anfernee Simons, James Harden got these achievements:

Honors & AwardsAchievement 1 Season MVP
Achievement 4 All-NBA First Team
Achievement 1 All-NBA Third Team
Achievement 3 Scoring Leader
Achievement 2 Assists Leader
Achievement 7 All-Star Game
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