The injury to reigning MVP and scoring champ Kevin Durant has opened the door for someone else to take his place. With the NBA season right around the corner (next Tuesday), let’s have a look at the best bets to win the 2014-15 scoring title.
Carmelo Anthony, New York Knicks (+200)
Anthony is the obvious betting favorite to replace Durant as the NBA’s top scorer for multiple reasons. There is no denying that he is an elite scorer and only Durant finished with more points per game than the 27.4 average that Anthony posted last season. It certainly helps that he has the spotlight to his self in New York where he will get as many looks as he wants with an offense that is built solely around his elite shooting skills. Factor in the arrival of legendary head coach Phil Jackson and that the Knicks will play against some very average opponents in the Eastern Conference and it’s clear that Anthony deserves to be the betting favorite.
LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers (+275)
The spotlight will be on LeBron’s homecoming as he looks to make a splash in his return and that motivation should light a fire under his production. However, the Cavaliers have spent the offseason building a true contender around him and there are plenty of options to move the ball to including Kevin Love, Kyrie Irving, and Dion Waiters. LeBron understands that he can’t do it all on his own and he will lean on his playmaker abilities in order to help develop the young players around him. King James will put up elite stats but he is more likely to win MVP honors than a scoring title in Cleveland.
James Harden, Houston Rockets (+650)
Harden finished fifth in points per game last season with a 25.4 average and two of the players ahead of him on last year’s list will be forced to share the ball in LeBron and Love while another is injured in Durant. Already one of the best pure shooters in the game, Harden will put up some solid point totals despite sharing the rock with Dwight Howard and depending on how things play out in Houston he could potentially challenge Anthony for the scoring title in 2014-15.
Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors (+2000)
Curry is arguably the best value play on this board as a 26-year old who finished seventh in points per game a year ago. There will continue to be concerns about Curry sharing the rock with Klay Thompson but there is no denying he is one of the best pure scorers in the league and he could be one injury to Thompson away from becoming the favorite to lead the NBA in points. Curry still doesn’t get the same love that the other players on this list do but that makes him that much more valuable as a sleeper pick to surprise.
Honorable Mention: Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder (+1200); Blake Griffin, Los Angeles Clippers (+2500); Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers (+2500)
