Who Leads the NBA in Scoring in 2021?
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It’s still early in the 2021 NBA season, but a few players are already starting to pull away from the pack in the scoring race. Who are the leaders so far?
Current Standings
As of January 31st, 2021, James Harden of the Brooklyn Nets leads the NBA in scoring with 36.1 points per game. Trailing behind him are Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers and Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors, both averaging 29.8 points per game.
Top 10 Scorers in the NBA
1. Bradley Beal – Washington Wizards
2. Giannis Antetokounmpo – Milwaukee Bucks
3. Stephen Curry – Golden State Warriors
4. Joel Embiid – Philadelphia
5. Damian Lillard – Portland Trail Blazers
6. Kevin Durant – Brooklyn Nets
7. Kyrie Irving – Brooklyn Nets
8. Nikola Jokić – Denver Nuggets
9. Russell Westbrook – Washington Wizards
10. Domantas Sabonis – Indiana Pacers
Predictions
As the 2020-2021 NBA season comes to an end, fans are wondering who will be leading the league in scoring. Will it be Kyrie Irving of the Brooklyn Nets, Bradley Beal of the Washington Wizards, or Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors?
Who Will Lead the NBA in Scoring?
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional men’s basketball league in North America. It is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). It is one of the major professional sports leagues in the world. The scoring leaders of the NBA are the players who average the most points per game. The regular season began on October 22, 2019, and will end on April 15, 2020.
In order to be eligible to win the scoring title, a player must have played in at least 60 games. The most recent winner of the scoring title is Houston Rockets’ shooting guard James Harden, who averaged 36.1 points per game during the 2018–19 NBA season.
Here are some predictions for who may lead the NBA in scoring during the 2019-2020 season:
1. Giannis Antetokounmpo – Milwaukee Bucks – The reigning MVP is coming off a season where he averaged 27.7 points per game, good for sixth in the league. Antetokounmpo has increased his scoring output every year since he entered the league and there is no reason to believe that trend will stop now. He has improved his three-point shooting (28%), which was a knock on his game early on, and should continue to see an uptick in his scoring as he enters his prime.
2. LeBron James – Los Angeles Lakers – LeBron James needs no introduction. The 34-year-old small forward/power forward has been one of, if not the best player in the world for over a decade now. Last season saw James average 27.5 points per game, which was actually below his career average of 27.6 points per game. However, playing with Anthony Davis should take some pressure off James to score as much as he has had to in years past, which could lead to an increase in his efficiency and point totals.
3 Joel Embiid – Philadelphia 76ers – Joel Embiid was limited to just 63 games last season due to injury but still managed to average 27.5 points per game, good for third in the league behind only Harden and Antetokounmpo . When healthy, Embiid is one of the most dominant big men in recent memory and should continue to put up big numbers as long as he can stay on the court . If he can play close to 70 games this season , there is no reason why he can ‘ t challenge for the scoring title .
Reasons Why
It’s no secret that the 2020 NBA season was one of the most unique in league history. With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic still casting a shadow over society, the league was forced to make several major changes in order to complete the season. Perhaps the most notable change was the decision to hold all games at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida.
With the 2021 season rapidly approaching, it’s time to start making predictions for who will lead the league in scoring. While there are many talented players who could take home the honor, there are a few players who stand out above the rest.
Here are three reasons why we believe Giannis Antetokounmpo will lead the NBA in scoring in 2021:
1) He’s the reigning MVP: Antetokounmpo is coming off of a historic 2019-2020 season in which he led the Milwaukee Bucks to the best record in the NBA and took home MVP honors. He also became just the third player in NBA history to average at least 29 points, 13 rebounds and 6 assists per game, joining Hall of Famers Oscar Robertson and Michael Jordan. There’s no reason to believe he won’t pick up right where he left off next season.
2) He’s entering his prime: At just 25 years old, Antetokounmpo is still getting better each and every year. He’s improved his scoring average each of his seven seasons in the league and there’s no reason to think that trend will stop anytime soon. With Antetokounmpo set to enter his physical prime, we could see him reach new heights next season.
3) He has nothing left to prove: After winning MVP and leading his team to the best record in the league last season, Antetokounmpo has already accomplished more than most players ever will in their entire careers. With his legacy already cemented, look for Antetokounmpo to play with a sense of freedom and joy next season which could lead to even more success on the court.
Conclusion
It’s still early in the NBA season, but a few players are already starting to separate themselves from the pack in terms of scoring. Bradley Beal of the Washington Wizards is currently leading the league with 33.9 points per game, followed closely by Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors, who is averaging 32.6 points per game. Kyrie Irving of the Brooklyn Nets is third in the league with 27.4 points per game.
