How are the top stars of the NBA faring so far this season?
With almost a quarter of the NBA season gone, the race for the scoring title has begun as New York Knicks star Carmelo Anthony looks to defend his crown.
As expected, many of the top names make up the top 10 list, but frustratingly for their respective franchises not all have been as influential as hoped for prior to the season starting.
While the Knicks continue to struggle after their loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night which saw them slump to 3-11 for the season, a number of stars have ensured that their teams have taken an early lead in the all-important race to secure a top seeding for the post season.
Two-time MVP and Miami Heat star LeBron James is unsurprisingly involved in the conversation, but it is perhaps most refreshing to see Minnesota Timberwolves power forward Kevin Love return to the charts after an injury-plagued season last year.
Nevertheless, they all miss out as Kevin Durant has taken an early lead, although James has a better shooting percentage than all his rivals which currently stands at 69.1%.
Image courtesy of NBA.com/stats.
Much is likely to change over the course of the season, although it is clear that these top names are integral to their teams chances of reaching the playoffs and aspiring to further success come the business end of the season.
Paul George, Kevin Martin, Monta Ellis, LaMarcus Aldridge and Arron Afflalo make up the top 10 on the list, and several of those names will be surprises.
The Indiana Pacers have made an impressive start to the season, and this year marks the year that many expect George to establish himself as one of the best in the game with an MVP-level season.
While he has started well, he will be expected to improve further as the campaign goes on, while team-mate Roy Hibbert has set his sights firmly on winning the Defensive Player of the Year award.
Meanwhile, the Portland Trail Blazers have arguably been the biggest surprise of the season thus far, and Aldridge has been an integral part of their early success. Along with point guard Damian Lillard, they represent a real threat in the Western Conference, but time will tell if they are capable of sustaining it.
It is a fascinating start to the season for NBA fans, and the scoring title is very much up grabs this year with several candidates holding realistic aspirations of being crowned at the end of the season.
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