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James Harden 2019 Player Outlook
5 years agoHouston Rockets guard James Harden remains a top-five player in fantasy basketball heading into the 2019-2020 NBA season, but a huge offseason acquisition has changed some of the math for how Harden will achieve that value. The Rockets shocked the basketball world by trading for point guard Russell Westbrook, a former MVP who has averaged a triple-double for three consecutive seasons. Because Westbrook is likely to see the floor more than Chris Paul did last year, Harden’s chances to run the offense will drop a little. He won’t completely be turned into an off-ball guard, but we can assume there’s a drop from the 7.5 assists he averaged last year down closer to the five or six range. But with Westbrook on the floor, Harden should see more chances to score assisted baskets, and we could see him repeat as the NBA’s scoring leader for the third year in a row. He might not average the 36.1 he did last year, but another year with at least 30 per game feels on the horizon. Westbrook’s addition does lower Harden’s total ceiling, but it also makes things easier for Harden as well. Expect another top-five season from the Beard, as we saw last year that Westbrook is willing to take a bit of a backseat to a more talented teammate.
