2. James Harden, Houston Rockets
Before the NBA was postponed, James Harden was averaging 34.4 points per contest while grabbing 7.4 boards and dishing out 6.4 assists. Although he’s not a great athlete, Harden possesses a very high IQ for the game, always knowing the right move to make in order to drain a basket.
Thanks to his physicality, he’s great at driving to the hoop and finishing amongst defenders or simply pulling up way downtown and draining a 3 with a hand in his face. One of the best shooters in the game, Harden attempted the most 3’s in the NBA this season at 12.6, draining them for a 36 percent clip.
The partnership with Russell Westbrook in Houston wasn’t necessarily working out quite yet, with the Rockets in sixth place before the pandemic. But with two ball-dominant guards, it’s always going to be difficult to co-exist with one another. Harden will always be the main man and although the team struggled at times this season, he was enjoying a historic season from a scoring standpoint.