For a fourth straight year and the sixth time over his eight seasons in Houston, Rockets guard James Harden will make the All-NBA First Team.
As the 2019-20 regular season winds down, HoopsHype asked media members voting for the official NBA awards to share their ballots. Combined with those who made their picks public, 18 were obtained.
Per HoopsHype’s findings, Harden has nearly 98% of the expected vote for the All-NBA First Team.
Luka Doncic (82.2 percent)
James Harden (97.8 percent)
Giannis Antetokounmpo (100 percent)
LeBron James (100 percent)
Anthony Davis (95.6 percent)
Harden is also projected to finish third in the MVP race, comfortably ahead of fourth-place finisher Luka Doncic. Now 30 years old, the future Hall of Famer and eight-time NBA All-Star has finished second, first, and second in MVP voting in each of his last three seasons.
1. Giannis Antetokounmpo (100 percent)
2. LeBron James (70 percent)
3. James Harden (42.2 percent)
4. Luka Doncic (20.6 percent)
5. Kawhi Leonard (12.2 percent)
Story: @hoopshype polled several award voters and combined those results with those who made their picks public. One award and several spots on the All-Defensive and All-Rookie Teams were separated by the thinnest of margins. https://t.co/2JpnGuGoKu
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) August 6, 2020
Harden is leading the Rockets and the NBA in scoring this year at a 34.2 points per game clip, which is just the third time in over 30 years that a player has averaged at least 34 points in a season. (The other two were Harden’s 36.1 last season and Kobe Bryant’s 35.4 in 2005-06.)
Assuming “The Beard” keeps his scoring average above 34 after the four remaining regular-season games, Harden will become just the third player in league history to average at least 34 points in two different seasons, joining Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain. Over his eight seasons to date in Houston, Harden has earned All-Star honors in all of them while leading his Rockets to the playoffs during each season.
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As for the rest of HoopsHype‘s poll, Russell Westbrook and P.J. Tucker each narrowly missed out on the All-NBA Third Team and All-Defensive Second Team, respectively. However, the margin was close enough that it remains possible for either or both to ultimately receive the honor.
All of this year’s award winners will be named during NBA playoffs, according to the league, with no precise dates available just yet.
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