The Three-Pointer: Scoring Race Closer Than Ever, Kyrie Is Back

Good morning! Three NBA titans are locked in a battle for the NBA scoring title, while some old friends may be back soon. Let’s jump right in!

 

The Closest Scoring Race Ever

We are witnessing one of the closest ever races of the NBA scoring title. There is less then a point separating LeBron James, Joel Embiid, and Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s scoring averages. It’s expected that James and Embiid are leading the league, seeing as how they’ve had to carry their teams while guys like Ben Simmons and Anthony Davis have been out. However, the fact that Giannis snuck in here really shows how much we’ve been underrating him.

On March 23rd, James was averaging 29.96 points, Embiid was averaging 29.83 points, and Antetokounmpo was averaging 29.72. Last night, against the Lakers in LA, Embiid dropped 30 points and 10 rebounds, inching his total average closer to 30 points per game. James didn’t play due to knee soreness, and Antetokounmpo gets his chance to shine tonight against the Washington Wizards. You can find the NBA’s scoring title tracker here if you’re interested in following along.

 

Zion’s Dunk

Zion Williamson appears to be making great progress with his foot recovery, as he posted this video of his Instagram story. Apparently, we went from Williamson not being able to put weight on his injured foot to him throwing down a between the legs dunk. Is this normal? I don’t think so.

It’s been said that Williamson has progressed to 1-on-1 drills, but it was also reported nearly two weeks ago that Williamson will be taking it slow, or a second surgery might be needed. Doesn’t throwing down between-the-legs dunks require a ton of athleticism? Either Williamson is progressing a lot faster than we all hoped and may be back during the season; or he’s trying to showcase that he’s not damaged goods to teams interested in him. Let me know your thoughts on the situation in the comments.

 

Kyrie’s Back!

Today, New York City is lifting its private sector vaccine mandate, according to Mayor Eric Adams. This means that yes, Kyrie Irving will now be allowed to play in home and away games. On March 7th, New York lifted different public mandates, such as wearing masks and having to show proof of vaccination to enter Barclays Arena. This led to Irving sitting court-side at a Nets game without wearing a mask, which apparently he had no problem doing. However, when he went into the locker room, he was fined $50,000.

Irving’s return comes at a great time. Irving’s been averaging 27.7 points per game on the road, and Kevin Durant could definitely use some help. Are the Nets title contenders? We’ll have to wait and see, but if they get Ben Simmons back, they’re going to scare a lot of teams in the playoffs.

 

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