by Marlene Gundlach

Created on: May 01, 2008   Last Updated: October 31, 2008

The top five scoring leaders in the NBA (as of today) all come from playoff teams. Two of the top four are on the same team...and they were bounced from the playoffs in round one. As of today, only the top two scorers are still alive in the playoffs. The top five are:

LeBron James (Cavs): 30.0 ppg
Kobe Bryant (Lakers): 28.3
Allen Iverson (Nuggets): 26.4
Carmelo Anthony (Nuggets): 25.7

Amare Stoudemire (Suns): 25.2

LeBron always has a lot of hype surrounding him, and has since high school. He has had a Lebron-like season, and carried his team once again into the playoffs. Without a consistent supporting cast, I do not see his Cavs getting past round two. His weaknesses are his defense and foul shots. He has recently acknowledged that this off season he will be focusing on his free-throw shooting. Since the ball is in his hand in crunch time and he is always a threat to get to the basket and get fouled, he must hit his free throws more consistently for the Cavs to win. As far as his defense, I don't think it is as bad as discussed. I watch a lot of Cavs basketball being from Ohio, and he is a decent defensive player. His unselfish play will carry him far and gives his teammates the confidence to compete along side him. LeBron is a competitor, and despite people questioning whether he deserves to be the league MVP this season, he continues to keep his head up and goes out to compete.

Kobe's behavior in the off-season was a bit like a three-year old having a temper tantrum because his mommy wouldn't invite his best friends to come and play. The Lakers did respond to his trade demands and filled some holes on the Laker team. After going 42-40 in the 2006-2007 season, the Lakers improved to 57-25 during 2007-2008. Their key trades made Kobe happy, and the Lakers won. He is a complete player at both ends of the floor. Most have tabbed Kobe as this season's MVP, although Chris Paul may have something to say about that.

Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony of the Denver Nuggets follow LeBron and Kobe in the scoring column. With two players scoring in the top four in the league, it s pathetic that the Nuggets have already been sent home from the playoffs. I believe their off court behavior may make them difficult to see as team leaders. With Melo's DUI arrest and calling out his players after their Game 3 saying they quit, it is no wonder they were swept by the Lakers. They played with no focus or sense of urgency.

Amare Stoudemire rounds out the top 5. The Suns addition of Shaq was supposed to set them up for a playoff run, but it wasn't enough to help the Suns beat the defending champion Spurs. Amare averaged 23.2 points in the Suns playoff run against the Spurs, just short of his season average. Unfortunately, to win during the playoffs you often have to be better than average.

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