The NBA's Best Scorer: 2013 Edition

2011 Edition

2012 Edition

Once again, it's time to identify the best scorers in the NBA, and crown one of them as the best of the best. A quick refresh of the criteria for eligibility:

• Must have played more than 41 games with a team.
• Must have ranked among the league leaders in attempts (free throws and shots) per game.

Without further ado, here's the 2013 crop (click for a better view).

Looking at the top...

1. Lebron James. It echoes most intelligent NBA writers to say that Lebron has submitted a regular season for the ages. I would simply add this: as a scorer, his numbers are staggering. He scored more efficiently on two pointers than Blake Griffin and Dwight Howard. His three point efficiency bested Kevin Durant. As a pure scorer, this season's points-per-shot is better than any season submitted by dominant scorers like Wilt Chamberlain, Larry Bird, or Michael Jordan. All I can say is... wow.

2. Stephen Curry. I thought the omission of Lamarcus Aldridge from the 2011 All-Star game was egregious, but that's nothing compared to Stephen Curry this year. A year ago, I waxed poetic on how James Harden's amazing scoring efficiency (1.046) was only possible due to his secondary status as a scorer, and then Stephen Curry beats it as an undisputed #1 option. In case you ever think I actually know what I'm talking about, I once said that I'd rather draft Jeff Teague than Steph Curry. Jeff Teague. Never forget.

3. Kevin Durant. There's nothing to say that hasn't already been said about his greatness as a scorer. I'll offer this: in 2007, Lebron James made the NBA Finals basically ahead of schedule, and the NBA world loved him. After that, the tone of discussion regarding his postseason performance started to change, as reaching and winning the Finals became an expectation. Durant may be in for the same shift in sentiment this spring.

4. Tony Parker. Tim Duncan is the greatest power forward of all time. Manu Ginobli is a Hall-of-Famer who led the only non-U.S. gold medal team in the Olympics in over 20 years. But one member of the San Antonio Big Three nevers seems to get his due. Who won the Finals MVP in 2007, along with his third ring? Who led the Spurs in scoring and minutes per game the last three seasons, including last season's playoffs? Who never gets mentioned in the Rose-Paul-Williams-Rondo argument, despite two All-NBA berths and five All-Star berths? Hint: the Spurs haven't lost because of his poor play the last few postseasons, but without him, it's almost certain they can't win this year.

5. Dirk Nowitzki. After a seeming 2012 victory lap of a season, and early season injury woes, Dirk remains  a unique problem for NBA defenses, an advantage that's amplified with the right roster around him (e.g. 2011). His loyalty to Dallas, combined with mileage, may mean we won't get to enjoy him on that stage ever again, but he's still a tough cover.

Other things to note:

• A year after Kyrie Irving walked onto an NBA court and instantly became one of the best scorers in the league, Damian Lillard comes along and does the same thing. 
• Blake Griffin is a much more efficient scorer than last year, by shooting fewer free throws at a much higher clip. I guess Chris Paul is making Blake better... at the line?
• Jrue Holiday and Russell Westbrook are All-Stars this year and considered building block players. Some people still call Kemba Walker a ball-dominant chucker. Walker scored at a similar efficiency to both of them, and posted a better assist-turnover ratio despite inferior teammates. Never underestimate the amount of taint playing for the Bobcats can give a player's reputation.
• James Harden has had a great year in Houston, and is clearly waiting for his shot at being the NBA's best shooting guard in a few years. However, being the #1 guy brings with it a definite drop in efficiency, as can be seen relative to his recent OKC days.
• Year 3 has come and gone with the same level of inefficiency for UK alums John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins. They're both incredible physical talents, and on any given night they look like incredible players, but consistent performance is still on the come (Wall's injury is a definite caveat to this point, but Cousins' situation is tougher to explain).

A final word... there's nothing amazing about predicting the Heat as this year's eventual champion. But what else is there to do? Lebron is the best player in the league, and his team, in full health, is set up to maximize his every advantage. It's crazy to think we're about to see dominance like the postseason run of the 2001 Lakers (losing only one game in the entire playoffs), but I think it's in play.