February 12, 2013; Oakland, CA, USA; Houston Rockets shooting guard James Harden (13, left) and point guard Jeremy Lin (7, right) watch from the bench during the second quarter against the Golden State Warriors at Oracle Arena. The Rockets defeated the Warriors 116-107. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Last season, the Denver Nuggets and the Houston Rockets were amongst the league leaders in points per game. Unfortunately for Denver they’ve lost their swingman in Andre Iguodala to the Golden State Warriors, and are now looking to get someone else in for reinforcements. The Rockets have only gotten better by adding a dynamic center Dwight Howard to their lineup. At one point this offseason, the Los Angeles Clippers were in the race for Howard. Unfortunately for the Clips, that fell through and what’s done is now done.
With that being said, which teams are going to have the highest scoring averages this season? Could it be Houston with their new, re-energized lineup? Or will it be another team like Denver with their endlessly deep roster? The best we can do, at this point, is make predictions.
1. Houston Rockets:
The Rockets have always been a higher scoring team. Now that they’ve got one of the best backcourts in the NBA in James Harden and Jeremy Lin, they’re always looking to attack the basket. Last season, they had Omer Asik at the basket patrolling things. Now, they have Howard, who was one of the league leaders in rebounding and blocks. He’s also a great scorer at just over 17 points per game. Their offense is only going to go up now that they’ve got one of the best center in all of the NBA.
2. Los Angeles Clippers:
The next team on this list will be the Clippers. Los Angeles has had a considerably successful offseason. They brought in Doc Rivers, re-signed Chris Paul, and made trades that will make them a better shooting team. Right now, all is right with LAC, and they’re looking like actual contenders next year. Unfortunately for them, they will have to get past a highly competitive Western Conference to face the Miami Heat, Brooklyn Nets, Indiana Pacers, or Chicago Bulls in the Finals. High scoring offense is going to be helpful for CP3 and the Clippers.
3. Denver Nuggets:
Denver has to be on this list. They may be losing a lot in Iguodala, but they’re going to be doing just fine. Evan Fournier wasn’t valued as much last season, but he’s going to be a decent scorer for the Nuggets. As for their other players, they have Javale McGee, who may not have the highest basketball IQ but he sure knows how to dunk the basketball. With Ty Lawson at the helm and Danilo Gallinari returning towards the end of the season, the Nuggets are going to be a scoring threat once again. They also have added sharpshooter Randy Foye to their roster.
4. Golden State Warriors:
The final team on this list is the Golden State Warriors, the ones who upset Denver in the playoffs last year. Lead by Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson in the backcourt, the Warriors will be one of the highest scoring teams in the NBA. Their backcourt, first of all, could be the best shooting tandem of all time. They also have Iguodala at the small forward spot, and David Lee at the power forward spot. They have Harrison Barnes coming off the bench. Yes, the same Barnes that averaged around 16 points per game in the 2013 Playoffs.