James Harden vs. Michael Porter Jr. Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Michael Porter Jr. 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, 10 more than Michael Porter Jr., who played 6. James Harden had the first of his seasons in 2009-10, while Michael Porter Jr. had his rookie season in 2019-20. 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
Michael Porter Jr. 6 5 2019-20 to 2024-25

Comparison Season by Season

Jump to season:

1-2-3-4-5-6

Rookie Season
James Harden Michael Porter Jr.
Season 2009-102019-20
Team Oklahoma City ThunderDenver Nuggets
Honors & Awards Achievement All-Rookie Second Team-
Playoffs Thunder Lost West Conf 1st RdNuggets 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:+21+6.5+0.6+0.6+0.9+1.5+1.0+0.6+0.2-0.5-0.8+0.4+0.6+.106+0.1+0.6+.047+1.5+1.9+.025
Michael Porter Jr. 55 16.4 9.3 1.2 3.5 4.7 0.8 0.5 0.5 0.9 1.8 3.5 7.0 .509 1.1 2.7 .422 1.1 1.3 .833
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:+13+3.7+3.7+0.9+3.3+4.2+1.0+0.3+0.1-0.8+2.1+3.4+.089+0.8+2.0+.007+1.3+1.4+.099
Michael Porter Jr. 19 23.7 11.4 1.1 5.6 6.7 0.8 0.7 0.3 1.3 2.3 4.1 8.6 .476 1.8 4.7 .382 1.4 1.8 .743

Season 2
James Harden Michael Porter Jr.
Season 2010-112020-21
Team Oklahoma City ThunderDenver Nuggets
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Thunder Lost West Conf FinalsNuggets Lost West Conf Semis
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:+21+4.6+6.8+1.0+3.2+4.2+1.0+0.4+0.6-0.4+3.7+5.1+.106+1.4+2.3+.096+1.8+2.0+.052
Michael Porter Jr. 61 31.3 19.0 1.5 5.8 7.3 1.1 0.7 0.9 1.3 2.1 7.3 13.4 .542 2.8 6.3 .445 1.7 2.2 .791
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:+7+1.6+4.4+0.6+0.2+0.8+2.3+0.1+0.5-0.3+2.5+5.3+.001+1.5+2.8+.094+2.2+2.6+.015
Michael Porter Jr. 10 33.2 17.4 1.2 5.0 6.2 1.3 1.1 0.3 1.6 3.1 6.4 13.5 .474 2.9 7.3 .397 1.7 2.1 .810

Season 3
James Harden Michael Porter Jr.
Season 2011-122021-22
Team Oklahoma City ThunderDenver Nuggets
Honors & Awards Achievement Sixth Man of the Year-
Playoffs Thunder Lost NBA FinalsDid Not Play
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:+53+2.0+6.9+0.5+2.0+2.5+1.8+0.1-0.9-0.6+0.9+1.3+.132+0.7+0.6+.182+4.4+5.0+.290
Michael Porter Jr. 9 29.4 9.9 1.0 5.6 6.6 1.9 1.1 0.2 1.3 1.8 4.1 11.4 .359 1.1 5.3 .208 0.6 1.0 .556
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
Michael Porter Jr. DNP------ --- ----------

Season 4
James Harden Michael Porter Jr.
Season 2012-132022-23
Team Houston RocketsDenver Nuggets
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA Third Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Rockets Lost West Conf 1st RdNBA Champion NBA Champion
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:+16+9.3+8.5+0.2+0.4+0.6+4.8+1.2-2.7-0.4+1.1+3.9+.049+0.7+1.1+.046+7.1+8.3+.051
Michael Porter Jr. 62 29.0 17.4 1.0 4.5 5.5 1.0 0.6 0.5 1.1 1.9 6.4 13.2 .487 3.0 7.3 .414 1.5 1.9 .800
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
difference:+14+7.8+12.9+0.2+1.3+1.4+2.9+1.5+0.4-4.0-0.9+2.5+7.5+.032+0.2+0.7+.010+7.6+9.5+.010
Michael Porter Jr. 20 32.7 13.4 1.0 7.1 8.1 1.6 0.5 0.6 0.5 2.1 5.0 11.7 .423 2.3 6.6 .351 1.2 1.5 .793

Season 5
James Harden Michael Porter Jr.
Season 2013-142023-24
Team Houston RocketsDenver Nuggets
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA First Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Rockets Lost West Conf 1st RdNuggets Lost West Conf Semis
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:+8+6.3+8.7+0.5+1.8+2.3+4.6+1.1+0.3-2.5-0.6+1.1+3.2+.028+0.3+0.2+.031+6.8+7.7+.030
Michael Porter Jr. 81 31.7 16.7 1.3 5.7 7.0 1.5 0.5 0.7 1.1 1.8 6.4 13.3 .484 2.7 6.8 .397 1.1 1.4 .836
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
difference:+6+6.9+11.0+0.1+2.4+2.1+4.7+1.1+0.6-2.0-1.2+2.6+10.0+.090+0.1+2.2+.111+5.8+6.1+.131
Michael Porter Jr. 12 36.9 15.8 0.7 6.2 6.8 1.1 0.9 0.8 1.5 2.3 5.7 12.2 .466 2.8 6.8 .407 1.7 2.2 .769

Season 6
James Harden Michael Porter Jr.
Season 2014-152024-25
Team Houston RocketsDenver Nuggets
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA First Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Rockets Lost West Conf FinalsNuggets Lost West Conf Semis
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:+4+3.1+9.2+0.9+0.5+1.3+4.9+1.3+0.2-2.6-0.6+1.1+4.5+.064+0.1+0.5+.020+6.9+7.7+.100
Michael Porter Jr. 77 33.7 18.2 1.8 5.2 7.0 2.1 0.6 0.5 1.4 2.0 6.9 13.6 .504 2.5 6.4 .395 1.9 2.5 .768
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
difference:+3+6.3+18.1+0.3+0.5+0.2+6.9+1.0-3.6-1.0+4.2+8.7+.047+0.7+1.3+.040+8.9+9.5+.202
Michael Porter Jr. 14 31.1 9.1 1.0 4.5 5.5 0.6 0.6 0.4 0.9 1.9 3.4 8.6 .392 1.7 5.0 .343 0.7 1.0 .714

Additional Years

* James Harden played 10 seasons more than Michael Porter Jr. in the NBA.

In that period—his seasons 7 to 16, from 2016 to 2025—James Harden played in 10 Playoffs.

In those 10 extra years over Michael Porter Jr., 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 8 All-Star Game
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