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Crazy stat lines have become a major feature of NBA games due to all sorts of records having been broken over the past few seasons. Point guard Russell Westbrook averaging a triple-double for the past 3 seasons, shooting guard James Harden averaging the most points since Michael Jordan did in the 1986-87 regular season and point guard Stephen Curry breaking the NBA Finals' record for most three pointers are popular ones. So let's have a go at predicting which players will lead the league in the averages of points, assists, rebounds, steals, blocks and FG%.
PPG: James Harden
Even though Russell Westbrook will take more shots than Chris Paul did as Harden's backcourt partner in H-Town, "The Beard" will still put in crazy scoring numbers every night because he's one of the most unstoppable offensive players of all-time.
I don't expect him to average over 36 a game like he did last season, however he should still be scoring over 32 per encounter but with more efficiency this time around. Winning a championship with Russ along his side is the main goal next season for the 17/18 MVP.
RPG: Andre Drummond
The Pistons Center has led the league in rebounding in 3 out of the last 4 seasons with his highest average coming in the 17/18 campaign which was a whopping 16 boards per game! Drummond is so big, strong and athletic which is why he is able to rebound relentlessly on both ends of the floor.
In recent years, he has improved the other areas of his game too such as scoring which was evident by his career high average last season of 17.3 points per outing. Drummond, along with star PF Blake Griffin, will hope to lead the Pistons to the Playoffs once again next season.
APG: Russell Westbrook
With the best offensive player in the league playing alongside him as well as a plethora of shooters and alley-oop options, Russ definitely has the chance to lead the NBA in assists per game for the third year running.
In Houston, Westbrook won't need to score as much, he should focus on finding open shooters, cutters and throwing alley-oops to Clint Capela whilst cutting down on his turnover rate along with improving his shooting efficiency across the board.
Overall, despite the fact that Harden will handle the ball more than his backcourt partner, Westbrook should still be able to retain the same amount of assists a game as he'll pass the ball more often and to better players.
Also, after complaints about Harden and Paul doing nothing on the offensive end when the other was running a play, I'm sure Harden & Westbrook will engage in some more movement, hence the opportunity for Russ to lead the league in assists again.
SPG: Paul George
George's quickness, length, determination and intelligence on the defensive end means that he's always amongst the league leaders in steals per game. With Leonard and Beverley guarding the perimeter alongside him, the Clippers have the potential to be one of the best defensive teams in the league next season.
On offense, George won't need to score as much as he did last year for the Thunder as the Clippers have Leonard, Williams and Harrell who can create their own shot, therefore there's certainly the opportunity for PG13 to have a better field-goal and three-point percentage next season too.
BPG: Mitchell Robinson
The young New York Knicks Center averaged 4.3 blocks per 36 minutes which is absolutely outstanding. Robinson stands at 7'1 and possesses insane length yet he is an incredible athlete.
He is also very smart at timing his blocks, therefore he is a heavy favourite to lead the league in this category. Not only that, but Robinson can also win the Defensive Player of the Year due to his elite rim protection skills.
FG%: Rudy Gobert
With 4 fantastic playmakers in Conley, Mitchell, Ingles and Bogdanovic playing alongside Gobert in Utah's starting lineup, the 'Stifle Tower' will get so many easy layups and dunks next season.
He led the league in FG% last season at 66.9% yet Gobert should be able to improve to 70% next season with the Jazz' offseason additions in Mike Conley and Bojan Bogdanovic. Furthermore, the paint will be less crowded as Derrick Favors signed for the New Orleans Pelicans.
Guess the Lakers players!
