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Outside of the noise and the turmoil caused by James Harden's absence from the Houston Rockets' workouts, the fact is that the left-handed superstar has led the NBA in scoring in three consecutive seasons. The latest NBA trade rumors suggest Harden could leave Houston and go to Philadelphia or Brooklyn, which would certainly change the picture for him and the Rockets in the NBA 2020-21 season.
NBA 2020-21: 5 players who can challenge James Harden for the scoring title
If James Harden joins a couple of superstars in Brooklyn or goes to Philadelphia with Joel Embiid (for example), will his numbers suffer during the NBA 2020-21 campaign?
The NBA 2020-21 year will be interesting if Harden goes to the East and teams up with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. If he has to sacrifice his numbers a bit, another star could take the scoring championship home in the NBA 2020-21 campaign.
Let us look at the five likely challengers to James Harden's throne in the NBA 2020-21 season.
#5 Luka Doncic
Luka Doncic is a dynamic player who can score and create plays for his teammates. The 21-year-old Slovenian is not an athletic freak, but he can get any shot he wants at any time on the basketball court. He will likely be in the MVP debate in the NBA 2020-21 season.
In only his second season in the NBA, Doncic averaged 28.8 points per game on 46/32/75 shooting splits. He is a high-volume shooter from the three-point line and if he can improve his percentage from range, he could average more than 30 points per night.
An average of over 30 points per game could be needed to beat Harden's streak in the NBA 2020-21 season. The left-handed scorer has averaged at least 30 points in the last three years and even got to 36 and 34 points per game in the last two seasons.
What could hinder his chances at the scoring championship is the fact that Doncic, in essence, is a facilitator who is willing to pass the ball with high frequency.
The Dallas Mavericks will go as far as Luka Doncic can take them in the NBA 2020-21 season, and that picture looks bright for them.
#4 Giannis Antetokounmpo
The reigning two-time NBA Most Valuable Player, Giannis Antetokounmpo, should be in the conversation regarding the race to lead the scoring charts in the NBA 2020-21 season.
Antetokounmpo's average of points scored per game has increased in each year after his rookie campaign. Last season, he sat fifth in scoring with an average of 29.5 points per game.
If Antetokounmpo returns to making over 70% of his free throws, he can lead the NBA in scoring with ease. Last season, he only averaged 30 minutes per game in the regular season.
It is unlikely that he will average much more minutes than that. However, if he manages to shoot more and maintain his efficiency (55% last year), Giannis will be a huge threat to Harden in the run for the scoring title of the NBA 2020-21 season.
#3 Devin Booker
Devin Booker will have an interesting story to follow during the NBA 2020-21 season. He has clearly been the best player of a depleted Phoenix Suns squad in the last few years.
However, after shocking the NBA world with an 8-0 record in the bubble at Orlando, the team now has Chris Paul on their roster. The Suns could be a nice team in the NBA 2020-21 season, but the West is stacked.
It would be a huge surprise to know that Booker would be happier with another point guard instead of CP3. Not only is Paul a future first-ballot Hall of Famer, but he is also one of the best leaders in the entire league and could turn the franchise around.
Of course, Paul will know his role with the Suns. His goal is to guide the team and control the offense while Booker will carry the scoring load. With a pass-first point guard, Booker will be a big factor in the NBA 2020-21 season.
He could well be in the conversation for scoring leader and even for the MVP of the NBA 2020-21 season. That is how good he is.
Of course, the 24-year-old Booker already has a 70-point game in his resume. With Paul leading that offensive scheme, 'Book' could be one of the biggest stars of the NBA 2020-21 season.
Last year, Booker averaged 26.6 points per night and had 49/35/92 shooting splits. He could join the 50/40/90 club after the NBA 2020-21 season is done.
#2 Trae Young
For his third year in the NBA, Trae Young should be expected to maintain his status as a tremendous volume scorer in the league. The NBA 2020-21 campaign could be a huge year for him.
Last year, Young struggled to lead his team to a winning record (or even a decent one), but the Atlanta Hawks have now surrounded him with lots of talent.
Young should be able to make the Hawks a postseason team in the upcoming NBA 2020-21 season, especially if he can score like he did last year.
He averaged 29.6 points per game last year and showed flashes of becoming one of the best three-point shooters in the league. He made 36% of his threes but was a threat from almost everywhere on the floor. That ability could keep defenses under pressure.
For a 6' 1'' guard to score 50% of his two-point shots, Young has to be special. It all starts with his dribbling and his ability to be a threat from range.
In the NBA 2020-21 season, Young is a clear candidate to win the scoring title.
#1 Damian Lillard
Damian Lillard had the greatest scoring season of his NBA career in the past year. For the upcoming NBA 2020-21 season, he will be a big threat to James Harden.
He averaged 30 points per game on 46/40/89 shooting splits. He might become another member of the 50/40/90 club and establish himself as one of the most explosive scorers in recent years.
Last year, Lillard had some stretches of historic scoring outbursts. In January 2020, he had one of the biggest six-game stretches in the modern NBA. Lillard averaged 48.8 points over those six games and made 49 three-pointers in that span.
With his six 50-point games last year, Lillard joined the all-time Top 10 for most 50-point games in the NBA. He also had three 60-point games last season and became the second player in NBA history to reach that number in a single season (Wilt Chamberlain was the other player).
We can imagine Lillard having another performance like that one in the NBA 2020-21 campaign.
Lillard will be dynamic in the NBA 2020-21 season, and the scoring title could be his to lose.
