above their talent level similar to Atlanta this year. The Clippers didn't start playing until March.

I agree the Howard/Jordan matchup is close. I think the most important stat between the two was that Jordan was +19 and Howard was -17. I do realize that is only one game and it had a lot to do with Barnes, Griffin and Redick as well.

Advanced stats highly favor Jordan over Howard this year. Jordan has an incredible 126 offensive rating and 98 defensive rating. So his team is 28 points better than the opposition per 100 possessions (that is an outstanding number). Howard has an offensive rating of 105 and a defensive rating of 100 so the Rockets are 5 points better per 100 possessions with him on the floor.
Jordan has a 4.3 VORP which means his team won 11.61 games more with him than they would have with a replacement. Howard had a .3 VORP which means his team won .81 games more with him than they would have with a replacement.

So while the raw stats look comparable, Jordan is making a huge difference for his team. Jordan takes less shots, but that isn't what his team needs. They need his defense, rebounding and extremely high scoring rate. Both offensively and defensively the Clippers thrive when he is on the floor.