The new NBA season is about to start and we can’t help but anticipate which teams and players will dominate the league during the next eight months. As modern basketball is becoming more and more competitive, and the rule book has also permitted more freedom towards offensive plays, athletes have been increasing their scoring accounts.
Just last campaign, we witnessed for the first time in NBA history how 58 players achieved a 20+ points per game average by the end of the season. Even first-year Paolo Banchero, who deservedly was awarded as Rookie of the Year, made the prestigious list.
As we are a week away from the start of the next competition, we prepared a short list of players who have both the potential and the team around them to conquer the scoring title which is currently under Joel Embiid’s possession.
Here’s the top 5 stars expected to compete for the NBA scoring title in 2023/24 season:
5. Damian Lillard, Milwaukee Bucks
It finally happened, after remaining loyal to the Trail Blazers for over a decade, Damian Lillard will get his chance to truly contend for an NBA title in Milwaukee this season. Last year he averaged 32.2 points per game playing for a Portland team that didn’t even make it to playoffs.
Damian Lillard’s first bucket as a member of the Bucks on the pass from Giannis 🔥
(via @TomerAzarly) pic.twitter.com/QYe8CQPHqf
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) October 15, 2023
In the video above, check out his first-ever bucket for the Bucks, after receiving a pass from none other than Giannis Antetokounmpo. If he ranked third in the scoring competition last season, how many points will he score this time next to The Greek Freak?
4. Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves
He’s already been dubbed as a player who will surely dominate the league in the years to come, and many experts believe this might just be his breakout season. Anthony Edwards recently proved he can guide a team to the top, as he was chosen to lead Team USA offense last month.
The 22-year-old was the United States’ most prolific scorer during the FIBA World Cup campaign, and dropped 34 points against Germany, the eventual champions. If the big men experiment between Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns works in Minnesota, Edwards will have green light to become the squad’s certified scorer and fight for title contention.
3. Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers
Motivated by his current league MVP status, Joel Embiid expects to transfer his talent to his team’s collective success. However, the Sixers big man’s accolades don’t stop there, as he’s also the reigning back-to-back leading scorer after collecting an impressive 33.1 pointer per contest last season.
Joel Embiid
– 1x MVP
– 3x MVP finalist
– 6x All-Star
– 2x scoring champ
– 4x All-NBA
– 3x All-Defense
– 1x All-RookieHall of Famer. pic.twitter.com/n90q0C8WQz
— Jake Rabadi (@BirdsCountry) May 2, 2023
The 29-year-old also became the first center to lead the NBA in scoring since Moses Malone did it over 40 years ago. If momentum remains on their side, this should be the year that Philadelphia finally get a chance to truly contend for the league title, and have Joel crowned at the top.
2. Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks
The 24-year-old has been looming close to the Kia MVP ladder for the past couple of years and there’s plenty of reasons why. The Slovenian star didn’t just rank second behind Embiid in the last scoring race with a 32.4 points per game average, but also has been the undisputed leader of the Mavericks squad.
Last season, Luka Doncic showed off an outstanding 60-point performance against the New York Knicks back in December, the highest-scoring match in his young career. If Dallas wouldn’t have fallen off the charts in the last couple of months, he might have improved his numbers even more.
1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder
After his successful spell leading the Canadian national team to the FIBA World Cup bronze last month, Thunder fans are excited to see him improving his scoring averages even more this upcoming campaign. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is still young and in constant upgrade, as he jumped last season to a 31.4 point per game average.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scoring by month
OCT: 31.5 PPG on 49/38/100
NOV: 31.1 PPG on 51/32/90
DEC: 30.5 PPG on 48/38/90
JAN: 31.1 PPG on 54/41/90
FEB: 31.5 PPG on 48/7/90
MAR: 35.5 PPG on 58/42/88He’s the only player in Thunder history to average 30 every month through March pic.twitter.com/3qOcgzMIt5
— TF (@ThunderFocus) March 10, 2023
The Oklahoma City guard is a master at shooting from range, attacking the rim, and shares an impeccable free-throw efficiency. The 25-year-old is this year’s favorite because his franchise is also expected to take a big leap in title-contention, and he has the thunder to lead.
