5 players who can eclipse Michael Jordan’s epic 37 ppg season this year

Scoring in the NBA has never been more accentuated than it is today. The NBA is all about making buckets and in the last few years, the magnitude of players touching 30 ppg has gone up hugely. Michael Jordan, who holds the single-season record of 37 ppg might have some competition in the near future. Perhaps, as soon as this year.

Rules are getting more lenient around fouls. Players find themselves unlocking parts of their game that allow them to effortlessly get buckets. Just last year 6 players hit 30 ppg! We definitely expect that number to get shattered this year. But who will be the leaders? And can anyone touch Michael Jordan’s ceiling?

5 players likely to break Michael Jordan’s 1988 scoring record

These 5 scorers can be lethal from any point in the game and from anywhere on the floor. Scoring 40 points in a game comes easy and one of them might even do the unthinkable and surpass Michael Jordan.

1. Luka Doncic

The Slovenian phenom is perhaps the most unguardable player on this list. On his day, torching his opponents for 30 seems like fair game. He has a career average of 27.6 ppg, better than the mighty LeBron James. Last season, he hit an absurd stat line of 60-20-10 in a game vs. the Knicks. It showed flashes of his excellent scoring ability and we are convinced he can break the 35 ppg ceiling.

He averaged an eye-watering 32.4 ppg and this was on a dysfunctional Dallas Mavericks team that crashed out right before even the playoffs began. We shudder to think how absurd Luka Doncic’s scoring might become this year. To add to it, he’s not even 25 years old!

2. Donovan Mitchell

The Cleveland Cavaliers guard has one of the most lethal games in the NBA. From deep threes to high-flying tomahawks, he can do it all. When you have the double-edged sword of athleticism and shooting, scoring can become remarkably simple. Mitchell scored 70 points in a single game last season. He also averaged 28.3 ppg last season.

There is almost a certainty the Cavs will improve from last season and Donovan will be the fulcrum of the offense. We expect him to cross the 30 ppg barrier and perhaps even do the unthinkable and challenge Mike!

3. Jayson Tatum

If we are talking about a player whose offensive arsenal contains athleticism and scoring, we will be amiss if we don’t mention Jayson Tatum. The young superstar became the first player to average 30 for the Celtics last season. This year, with a couple of new additions to the lineup that should help with more spacing, we expect Tatum to break the Celtics scoring record once again.

In addition to the consistency, Tatum is also able to spontaneously erupt for big games at will. He holds the record for most 50-point games by a Celtic. There is a feeling amongst the Boston faithful that he will score 60 this season and we definitely agree.

4. Devin Booker

The Phoenix Suns superstar has never had a 30 ppg season and he doesn’t feature in the list of scoring leaders from last season either. Booker hasn’t played more than 70 games a season in the last 5 years. Yet, he has averaged more than 25 ppg in each of those years. Last year, he was magnanimous. A stunning 27 ppg on 49.4% FG and 35.1% from 3, means he has the potential.

He unleashed an efficient barrage in the first round of the post-season, and we believe he is capable of doing that throughout the regular season. And lest we forget, he is the youngest player to score 70 in a game. A 30 ppg season is on the cards and who knows, he might just take home the scoring record.

5. Damian Lillard

If there is one player from the old guard who can even remotely come close to the imperious feat of breaking Michael Jordan’s 37 ppg season, it has to be Damian Lillard. There is no certainty as to where he will land this season but one thing is almost certain, he will get that team buckets!

Dame is entering his twilight years and like a supernova, we can bet he will go out with a bang. He averaged 32.2 ppg last year and scored 71 in a game. His opponents recall that dame would have scored 90 if he wanted to in that game. While that didn’t happen and it is unlikely it will, we can certainly expect him to up his ante this year.