8. James Harden
Rockets | SG |
@JHarden13
- 2017-18 projected RPM: 5.17
Stats & Info: Harden scored or assisted on 4,538 points last season, exactly one point shy of Tiny Archibald's NBA record set in 1972-73. With Chris Paul in town, Harden figures to spend more time off the ball which could spell trouble for opposing teams. Harden ranked in the 91st percentile in points per play on spot-ups last season.
7. Chris Paul
Rockets | PG |
@CP3
- 2017-18 projected RPM: 8.15
Stats & Info: At the league's most loaded position, Paul once again led all point guards in real plus-minus in 2016-17 while finishing second league-wide behind only LeBron James. How Paul and James Harden jibe on the offensive end will be under the microscope all season, but it's worth noting that Paul is the only point guard who's a defensive upgrade over Patrick Beverley, who finished second among point guards in defensive RPM. The gap between Paul and Beverley is the same as the gap between Beverley and the 20th-ranked defensive point guard.