NBA: Ranking the top 10 contenders to begin the 2019-20 season

5. Houston Rockets

Former teammates from the Oklahoma City Thunder will be reunited in Houston. The winner of the 2018 MVP award (James Harden) and the winner of the 2017 MVP award (Russell Westbrook) are joining forces.

As long as Harden is in Houston, the Rockets will always remain a contender. His elite scoring ability along with his playmaking make him, undoubtedly, the toughest cover in the league.

With that being said, I’m getting tired of all the James Harden slander as well. His team was plagued with injuries last season, and he did what elite level players do: he dominated.

Harden carried the weight of the entire franchise on his shoulders, averaging 36 points per game and single-handedly brought his non-playoff team up to the fourth seed in the Western Conference. Now, add the explosive Russell Westbrook and you have a scary tandem of players.

Westbrook tallied up his third consecutive season of averaging a triple-double.

Barring injury, I expect the Rockets to run away with the West in the regular season. Mike D’Antoni’s style of offense has resonated throughout the new transitioning NBA; as many teams are aspiring to play like Houston.

With the addition of Westbrook, the Rockets have added another element to their 3-point offensive schemes. They acquired a player that excels in transition basketball and can play in isolation situations.

Harden and Westbrook will look to add a championship to their Hall of Fame resumé in the 2019-2020 season.