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Scoring consistently in the NBA for an extended period is an incredibly difficult thing to achieve. That is why the league recognizes exceptional talents who record the most points every season. James Harden has been the standout scorer in the last five seasons, winning three of the last five scoring titles.
Michael Jordan has won the NBA scoring title a record ten times, with his first seven coming in consecutive seasons from 1987. The 1986-87 campaign was his highest-scoring season, where he averaged 37.1 points per game.
Last season's race for the NBA scoring title was breathtaking. Bradley Beal led the charge early in the season, and stayed top till April. A series of back-to-back spectacular shootings from Stephen Curry throughout April saw the latter take over from Beal till the end of the season.
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The race for the 2021-22 NBA scoring title will be underway in a week, with players currently getting into match fitness in the preseason fixtures. On that note, here are the top five players who could win the NBA scoring title next season:
#5 Damian Lillard
Damian Lillard is arguably the best clutch three-pointer in the NBA. In Lillard, the Portland Trail Blazers have one of the best point guards in the league, but that has not translated to success in the playoffs.
Lillard has never won a scoring title, but could get his first in the 2021-22 NBA season. He was inspirational in the playoffs last year. Lillard set a record for the most three-pointers made in a playoffs game when he registered 12 in Game 5 against the Denver Nuggets.
His highest-scoring season was in 2019-20 when he averaged 30 points. Although his average dropped last season, he was the second-highest scorer with 1,928 points.
#4 Jayson Tatum
Jayson Tatum is developing to be one of the most lethal players in the NBA, and he is only 23. He has been a bright spot for the Boston Celtics since his rookie season, leading them to four consecutive playoff appearances. Tatum took his team as far as the Eastern Conference finals in the 2019-20 season.
Tatum averaged 26.4 points last season, and will likely better that number in the 2021-22 NBA campaign. He scored a total of 1,692 points last season, and was ranked ninth overall among all players in the league. The Celtics forward bulked up in the offseason, which means we might see another aspect of his game, perhaps in the low post.
#3 Stephen Curry
The 2021 NBA scoring champion, Stephen Curry, could have another go at the scoring title even though the competition could be stiff. Curry won the 2021 title with a career-best 32 points per game to clinch his second scoring accolade.
The anticipated return of Klay Thompson to the Golden State Warriors' lineup should take some of the offensive load off Curry. In the same vein, the defensive pressure on Curry should also lighten, giving him more space to operate. Curry was the top scorer last season, totaling 2015 points in 63 appearances.
Curry is entering his 13th year in the NBA, and is showing no signs of slowing down yet. The two-time MVP is hungry for another championship run, and his stellar shooting might help him achieve that.
#2 Luka Doncic
Luka Doncic will likely be the face of the NBA after LeBron James retires, and it would be well-deserved. The youngster has been inspirational for the Dallas Mavericks in the three seasons he has been in the NBA.
The 22-year-old came close to breaking the single-game record in the Olympics after leading Team Slovenia to their first-ever Olympic appearance. Despite battling injuries, he led them to a fourth-place finish in the Tokyo Olympics 2020 men's basketball competition.
So far in the NBA, Doncic has been exceptional. He averaged 27.7 points last season and was the fifth-best scorer in terms of total tally (1,830). Meanwhile, Doncic led the scoring in the playoffs, averaging 35.7 points and 10.3 assists in seven outings.
#1 Kevin Durant
Kevin Durant made his return with a bang from an Achilles injury that sidelined him for the entire 2019-20 season. Although he battled other injuries during the campaign, he was the joint scoring leader for the Brooklyn Nets with 26.9 points in 35 games.
The Brooklyn Nets were the favorites to emerge from the East last season, but were defeated by the Milwaukee Bucks in the conference semi-finals. In Game 5 of that series, KD showed his scoring class, registering 49 points, 17 rebounds and ten assists while playing every second of the game.
This season, Durant will gun for his fifth scoring title in his 13-year NBA career. He will also look to lead the Nets to their first-ever championship in franchise history.
