Got to the line all day, didn't need his J to fall to produce, could handle and distribute, could defend.

Harden is a better scorer with better range. In a lot of other areas he falls short and he is no type of leader. The OP starts from a premise that Wade's legacy is "inflated" and that he "rode LeBron" when he put in work despite his health already declining in the LeBron years. The problem with Wade is that he had a short peak and even still his career is ultimately going to look better than Harden's despite 1) entering the league at 23 and 2) having knee problems from the middle of his career forward. Wade was still stealing games as an old-time fart. Harden still giving them away in his prime. Harden has all the tools to be better, but he hasn't gotten there yet as an all-around player.