Believe it or not, Kobe Bryant and James Harden are actually extraordinarily similar players. That being said, Bryant still has the edge in the head-to-head comparison—but not for long.

Harden is only in his second year as a starter in the NBA, but he is really the main reason for the Houston Rockets' incredible turnaround just a season ago. Now with Dwight Howard in the fold, Houston is poised to make an even more significant leap forward in 2013-14.

Bryant, on the other hand, is fresh off an injury to his Achilles that has prevented him from stepping on the court this season. He's also fresh off a puzzling ranking as the No. 25 player in the NBA, whereas Harden was ranked No. 4 on the list.

Sure, Harden may be more explosive than the 35-year-old guard at this point in their respective careers, but he still isn't Bryant. There are still a few steps he needs to take to get on that level, and it will take some time before I'm personally convinced that he has overtaken Bryant as the best shooting guard in the NBA.

In terms of both statistics and overall impact, Harden needs to make some improvements to catch the Black Mamba.

Field-Goal Percentage

Simply put, both players put up the points.

Bryant averaged 27.3 points per game while Harden averaged 25.9 per last season, but that volume of points gets diluted when considering field-goal percentages.

Bryant shot 46.3 percent from the floor (32.4 percent from deep and 51 percent on two-point attempts). While not his best season from three, his efficiency at scoring within two-point territory is what made him so effective last season. Capitalizing on high-percentage looks is his specialty.

Harden wasn't as efficient, shooting 43.8 percent from the floor (36.8 percent from three and 47.7 percent from two-point territory). Harden is much more of a sharpshooter than Bryant is at this point, but he needs to become better from closer.

A ton of his missed opportunities came when he and head coach Kevin McHale fell in love with isolation play, something that gave Harden plenty of opportunities to score—but not enough easy looks. They'll be shying away from that this season with Howard and others now in the fold, but it was this inefficiency that gives Bryant the immediate upper hand over him.

To be the best, you have to choose your shots wisely.

Bryant still chucked up 20.4 field-goal attempts per game last season, but he converted at a much higher rate than Harden. Whether it's a matter of taking less shots or simply taking better ones, Harden needs to improve on his efficiency to really be considered one of the greats.

Establish a Rapport With Howard

Whether or not Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal are currently best friends off the court is irrelevant. The fact remains that the duo was an unstoppable force while they played together from 1996 to 2004, winning three straight titles from 2000 to 2002.

They made each other better, and that's why those Los Angeles Lakers teams were so successful.

When Bryant was doubled, he dumped the ball inside to Shaq, who was more than capable of finishing at the basket. When Shaq was doubled, he would immediately look for Bryant slashing to the basket or standing on the perimeter.

Bryant was still able to win two championships without Shaq, but his best years came when the two donned purple and gold together. Harden needs to take a page out of Bryant's book, as playing alongside Howard has serious potential to have the same type of impact on his career.

Harden and Howard were already great by themselves, but putting them together for 30-plus minutes per night can turn into something special. Similar to Shaq and Bryant, the two Rockets stars will feed off each other and take advantage of the other's double-teams.

This should create more high percentage shots for both players, subsequently helping Harden out with the efficiency that I was so worried about earlier.

Predicting championships years in advance isn't easy, but there's plenty of reason to believe that the Harden-Howard tandem can bring at least one home during their tenure in Houston together. Doing so would put him in the same discussion as Bryant.

Do It All in Houston

This is truly forward thinking, but Harden needs to spend the rest of his career in Houston in order to be considered this generation's Bryant.

Bryant accomplished everything throughout his career with the Lakers. All the All-Star, first-team and MVP selections came as a member of the Lakers—not to mention the championships.

Harden began his career with the Oklahoma City Thunder before being traded to Houston, but he was given his first real shot as a star in McHale's scheme.

If he can stay the rest of his career in Houston, then Harden can do great things.

The Lakers have a history of storied players, and Bryant put himself in that discussion with multiple championships. His decision to not leave the franchise gave him his chance. Other players like LeBron James left for better odds at making the NBA Finals, but Bryant was content with winning or losing with the Lakers. He trusted in the team's upper management to put the necessary talent around him to compete.

Harden has brought only good things to Houston thus far, but it will be interesting to see how he handles a down season by the Rockets. Will he want to spurn the city and go play for a more competitive team? Or will he ride it out and wait for general manager Daryl Morey to bring in more talent?

Even after Shaq left, Bryant remained in Los Angeles. Playing your entire career for one team in an era of big spending and free agency is an admirable accomplishment, and it's something that Harden should strive to achieve.

Even if he only brings one championship to Houston during his career there, Harden will be known as the superstar that played for the city through thick and thin—thereby establishing himself as one of the franchise's best players of all time.

Conclusion

In the short term, Harden really needs to work on efficiency to help his team win games. It's the bottom line. He is as skilled as player as anyone in the NBA, but chucking up a high volume of low-percentage shots in each game is not the best way to get the job done.

In terms of long term goals, Harden needs to think ahead in order to establish chemistry with Howard. If the two can find success early in their careers in Houston, then there's plenty of reason to believe they'll be willing to stay long term.

Staying long term is paramount for Harden, as it will be impossible to call him this generation's Bryant if he keeps switching teams to find more success in other places. The key to being Bryant is winning with what you have and trusting that you'll be given the tools to succeed.

Harden isn't on Bryant's level just yet, but he's definitely on his way.