Now more than ever, the NBA has seen a boom of talented shooters and scorers. From Steph Curry, to Kevin Durant, to Kyrie Irving, we are seeing an era in which scoring potential has reached an all-time high.
In a piece on The Athletic, a panel of 30 well-connected experts ranked the game’s top scorers. And, not surprisingly, Kevin Durant took top place on the list.
Durant placed first 20 times and showed up on 28 of the 30 ballots we received, tied with Harden as the most ubiquitous candidate. The most common reasoning among those who voted for him? Defenses have no impact on his performance.
“K.D. is either going to make or miss shots and you will have nothing to do with it,” said one GM who voted him first. “He gets to the shot he wants with length that is absurd.”
One scout who placed him first said Durant’s height was the differentiator between best and falling lower on the ballot.
30 people connected with the NBA voted on the best 'pure scorers' in the NBA:
1) Kevin Durant
2) James Harden
3) Stephen Curry
4) Bradley Beal
5) Damian Lillard
(Via https://t.co/or2DCsBCnm) pic.twitter.com/LQyKcXlI2K
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) March 7, 2021
https://www.instagram.com/p/CMIEp0ugCoQ
Durant, 32, is the clear frontrunner when it comes to scoring. This season, coming off a major Achilles injury, he’s averaging 29 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 5.3 assists on 52.4% shooting.
Considering those stats with his wide-range of offensive skills (dribble, pull-up, catch-and-shoot, fadeaways), it’s no surprise folks are so impressed, even with guys like James Harden, Steph Curry, and Damian Lillard doing their thing on a nightly basis.
