Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers was last season’s NBA scoring champion, marking the first time a center has won that honor since Shaquille O’Neal did back in 1999-00.
It was a huge victory for Embiid and showed that he’s one of the most dominant players in the league.
He had to overcome a lot of competition to become the scoring champion for the season.
This year, that competition is even tougher.
Most PPG by a Player this month:
35.1 PPG — Joel Embiid
34.9 PPG — LeBron James
32.4 PPG — Damian Lillard
31.7 PPG — Jalen Brunson pic.twitter.com/wLLbFvzUDA— NBA Muse (@NBAMuse24) January 20, 2023
Over the last month, the race to win that distinction for 2022-23 has gotten hotter and tougher.
Embiid is still leading the race with 35.1 points per game during January.
But hot on his heels are LeBron James with 34.9 PPG, Damian Lillard with 32.4, and Jalen Brunson with 31.7 points per game.
Seeing James on the list isn’t that shocking, considering he almost beat Embiid last season.
And the return of Lillard also isn’t too surprising since he’s always been one of the most solid shooters in the NBA.
Brunson’s entry into the top four is just another sign that he’s one of the most talented and exciting young guards in the league.
He was terrific with the Dallas Mavericks but Brunson has only taken things up a notch since joining the New York Knicks.
Brunson has averaged 22.6 points a game in the Big Apple, up from 16.3 during his last season in Texas.
There are obviously a few more months in the season and a lot can change between now and the playoffs but no one should be surprised if these four athletes continue to battle it out for the title of NBA scoring champ.
No matter who wins, they will do so by overtaking some very tough competitors.
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