Highest Scoring Duo’s (20-21)

[Ed Monix]

[nickagneta]

Nope. Of the top 17 scorers in to the NBA last year, as measured by points per game, only Boston had two of those top 17 scorer as

[Moranis]

Wiggins missed 1 game and Curry missed only like 9.  When you look at total points scored that matters a lot.  I'd rather look at PPG though as I think that is a better measure of actual scoring ability and in that Irving and Durant top the list (though Curry/Wiggins, Tatum/Brown, Lillard/McCollum, and Zion/Ingram aren't far back).

[Vermont Green]

I think the bigger surprise is that Wiggins is part of the highest scoring pair.  But this is based on total points, Wiggins played 71 games and was 25th in total points in the league (Curry was 1st).  Per game, Wiggins was 39th. 

Per game, Beal + Westbrook were top at 53.5, Brown + Tatum 51.1, and Curry + Wiggins 50.8.

I guess this just shows that wins is about more than scoring.

[Moranis]

I think the bigger surprise is that Wiggins is part of the highest scoring pair.  But this is based on total points, Wiggins played 71 games and was 25th in total points in the league (Curry was 1st).  Per game, Wiggins was 39th. 

Per game, Beal + Westbrook were top at 53.5, Brown + Tatum 51.1, and Curry + Wiggins 50.8.

I guess this just shows that wins is about more than scoring.

Irving and Durant were 53.8 (though given all of their injuries that is probably skewed).  Lilliard/McCollum were 51.9.  Williamson/Ingram 50.8. 

What is says more is that championship level teams tend to have much better 3rd and 4th scorers which diminishes the numbers of the 1st and 2nd option.  They are just much deeper teams, which makes sense.  Take the Bucks, Holiday was at 17.7, last year Bledsoe was at 14.9.  They had 4 other guys above 10 ppg this year and only 1 other guy above 10 ppg last year (so 7 to 4).  As a result of the better 3rd option and better overall scoring depth, Giannis and Middleton went from 50.4 last year to 48.5 this year (the also played about 6 less minutes a game, which they could do because the roster was better).  So still an excellent scoring duo, but one that didn't have as much of a work load because the team was better.