Their names aren't Carter, Shaq, Garnett, or McGrady. They never played in the Final Four. Yet super scorers are back in then NBA. Recalling the days of Michael and Dominique, or Dantley and English, players such as Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and Allen Iverson are scoring 40 on the regular, and Gilbert Arenas is right on their heels. Why the explosion, and why these particular players?
Through 36 games, Kobe Bryant is averaging a Jordanesque 34.2 ppg. Leading a team where he is no longer shackled by Shaq's presence, Bryant hoists a league-leading 27 shots a night. To his credit, he also shoots 10.5 free throws a game, third in the league to Iverson and Dwyane Wade. But he is not alone in the 30-point stratosphere.
King LeBron James, all of 21, averages 31.1 per night on 50.3% shooting. Many years, this average would lead the NBA in scoring, even back during the early 1970s of Jerry West and the-then Lew Alcindor (when teams tallied 115 points a game). Of course, James' all-around digits are astounding, he passes and rebounds, too. Though high school seniors may no longer enter the NBA draft straightaway, he remains the best argument to the contrary.
A.I., for his part, is netting 33.2 per contest, despite the presence of Chris Webber. Arenas and Wade are just under 29 per game. When you read this leader board, you half expect see names like Vandeweghe, Free, and King. This is a good thing. Part of the reason is that overall scoring is up. Iverson has always been a top-three scorer. LeBron has so much game for his age, it's just a matter of time before we realize he's not only a superior passer to Jordan, but a much larger man than M.J. was at the same age.
Gilbert Arenas is the definition of a scorer. He has the frame, the mentality, and the marksmanship. He can also shoot it a little more this season, what with Larry Hughes departed (and running with James). In Miami, Shaquille O'Neal is more than happy to see Dwyane Wade light up opponents, because the Southeast division leaders have another shot at a ring they feel Wade's playoff injury of last season robbed them of. Sure, the Pistons boast the flashy W-L mark (30-5 at this writing), but the Heat start two future Hall of Famers, and are coached by one. If Shaq had any issues, they were resolved when Stan Van Gundy stepped down.
What does it all mean? Well, for starters, the league's pace is finally catching up with the talent level. Lightning guards such as Steve Nash and Tony Parker have ignited the trend to fast break. The enforcement of hand-checking rules has freed up slashers of the Bryant/Wade stripe. And LeBron will carry his club until even more help arrives. Look for more of the same. Paul Pierce is soloing in Beantown without former mate Antoine Walker (not exactly gun shy himself, but now a supporting cast member to Shaq and D-Wade). And when Amare Stoudemire returns to Phoenix — watch out.
This is a new breed of highlight reel stars. Most are on the shy side of their 25th birthdays. One of the most misleading terms in professional basketball is "great defensive player." During the 1961-62 campaign, when Wilt Chamberlain averaged 50 points a game, Celtics' stopper Bill Russell "held" him to 41 points a game. A decade later, Baltimore Bullet Earl Monroe would score a stylish 35-40 even when blanketed by Knick ballhawk Walt Frazier. And though Sidney Moncrief and Gerald Wilkins proved more effective than others against Michael Jordan, to say they stopped him would be lying. We all remember Hakeem's highlight reverse "Dream Shake" vs. all-defensive teamer David Robinson.
Thus, on a given night, Kobe (who recently notched 62 vs. Dallas in only three quarters), A.I., LeBron, and the rest are capable of far above their averages. It's a revival. Should the scoring race come down to the wire, perhaps we'll be treated to a closing day battle like the year David Thompson hit 73 and George Gervin 63, or the time Shaq and David Robinson closed it out with "The Admiral" dropping 71 on the Clippers.
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