NBA: Biggest x-factors heading into the final month of the season
By Kyle Crabbe
Tobias Harris, Philadelphia 76ers
After the major trade deadline move, sending Tobias Harris to Philly from the Los Angeles Clippers, many have said Harris makes the young Sixers the best team in the Eastern Conference.
If Harris is to gel well with the Sixers current team, that could make the Sixers a very tough opponent for any team in the Eastern Conference playoffs. How Harris plays with the Sixers’ young core of Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons will not only have a major effect on the remainder of the 2019 season, but will impact whether Harris remains in Philadelphia for the long-term future.
Iman Shumpert, Houston Rockets
Quietly, it looks as if the Houston Rockets have been able to solve their “ Trevor Ariza” problem. By trading and acquiring Iman Shumpert the Rockets were able to effectively bring a player that possesses a lot of the skills and qualities that departing when Ariza left last summer in free agency.
Shumpert is a talented defender who can occasionally hit the 3-point shot. Playing in a open-offensive system run by Mike D’Antoni and playing alongside supreme passers and playmakers in James Harden and Chris Paul should allow Shumpert to easily flourish on the offensive end with the Houston Rockets.
Add just Shumpert’s defensive talents and we might see Shumpert become a major X-factor to the remainder of the Houston Rockets 2019 campaign.