Milwaukee Bucks
Giannis Antetokounmpo: 28 points per game
Khris Middleton: 20 points per game
No other player on this list is expected to score as few points as Khris Middleton. But his ability to score in a number of ways, especially in clutch moments, necessitates his presence here. Even if omissions like Jamal Murray and one of the Toronto Raptors threaten to equal or barely exceed his production, their number one won’t be Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Almost nothing needs to be said about the Greek Freak’s greatness and scoring potency.
Chicago Bulls
Zach LaVine: 26 points per game
DeMar DeRozan: 22 points per game
I think this is the year DeMar DeRozan takes a step back on offense, permanently. He was trending in that direction for four years before jumping back into the high 20s per game last year.
And I think wing depth makes that okay for the team. LaVine pretty much is who he is at this point, a very legit but not quite top-tier scorer. Admittedly, I really messed up last year, when I predicted DeRozan wouldn’t notch 20 points per game, but I think the team’s lackluster second-half performance showed that LaVine has to be the top guy.
Brooklyn Nets
Kevin Durant: 28 points per game
Kyrie Irving: 24 points per game
Ugh. That’s all I can say, as both a Brooklyn Nets fan and a fan of the NBA in general. Last year’s team was one of the most unnecessarily dramatic and least likable in the recent NBA, and this year’s team threatens to rival that with the will-he-or-won’t he with Kevin Durant’s currently-dormant trade request and Ben Simmons’ mental health.
Regardless, as long as they are Nets, KD and Kyrie will get buckets.