Ranking the top 10 offensive players in the NBA in the 21st century
The NBA is the home of the most versatile offensive players the basketball world has ever seen, with the likes of James Harden and Stephen Curry among the elite scorers of this generation.
While everyone knows of the offensive prowess of legendary players such as Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain, few are as familiar with the best scorers outside of the 20th century.
The NBA’s best offensive players since the turn of the century
From pure shooters to the most unstoppable inside-outside scorers, the greatest offensive players in the NBA are masters at making baskets. What matters is not how they do it, but that they can put points on the board in bunches.
On that note, here's our list of the NBA’s top ten offensive players in the 21st century:
#10 Tracy McGrady
Career scoring average: 19.6 points per game
Though his career scoring average isn’t as impressive as the others on the list, Tracy McGrady led the NBA in points per game two times in his career. He scored 50 or more points four times, and recorded a career-high 62 points against the Washington Wizards on March 10, 2004.
McGrady had a silky smooth touch from the outside. With his long arms and 6' 8" physique, the Hall of Famer could shoot over almost any player on the court.
His most famous scoring exploit was undoubtedly when he scored 13 points in 33 seconds on Dec. 9, 2004. On that night against the San Antonio Spurs, T-Mac brought the Orlando Magic back from being down ten points with a minute to play. With under 40 seconds remaining, McGrady drained one 3-pointer after another, giving the Magic an 81-80 win in a dazzling display of uncanny shooting from the deep that has never been seen in the NBA before or since then.
#9 Russell Westbrook
Career scoring average: 23.2 points per game
Russell Westbrook is a unique offensive weapon. Though he’s not the shooter that most players on this list are, he has led the NBA in scoring average twice in his career, including a career-best 31.6 points per game in the 2016-17 campaign.
Six times in his NBA career, Westbrook has scored at least 50 points in a game, including his all-time best of 58 points set on Mar 7, 2017 against the Portland Trail Blazers.
But his scoring ability is just one aspect of his offensive arsenal. Westbrook is also one of the best passers in the game, leading the league in assists in three of the last four NBA seasons, and has averaged more than 20 points a game for 11 straight years.
#8 Carmelo Anthony
Career scoring average: 23 points per game
Carmelo Anthony owns one of the sweetest releases in the game’s history, and he has used that to his advantage against his opponents throughout his career.
Melo can beat his opponent inside and out, using a wide array of moves to get himself free for a shot. He has a career-high 62 points, which he set on January 24, 2014 against the Charlotte Bobcats.
The NBA’s tenth-leading scorer of all time with 27,370 points, Carmelo Anthony led the league in scoring once, averaging 28.7 points per game in 2012-13. If he averages 15 points a game next season, playing in all 82 games, Anthony could overtake Moses Malone and Shaquille O’Neal, he'll move to eighth in the league's all-time scoring charts.
#7 Damian Lillard
Career scoring average: 24.7 points per game
One of the greatest scoring point guards in the history of the NBA, Damian Lillard has scored 50 or more points 14 times in his nine-year career. In three of those 14 occasions, the Portland Trail Blazers guard recorded at least 60 points. He’s just the sixth player in league history to record that many points three times in their career.
Lillard, like Stephen Curry, can shoot the basketball from up to half court, as he has extended his range further and further away from the three-point line. Speaking of three-pointers, Dame has made at least 200 of them seven times in his career, and set the bar higher for himself with a career-best 275 threes in 67 games last season.
With an ever-expanding offensive arsenal, Lillard has become a dangerous scorer, who averaged 30 points a game two seasons ago. He is probably looking to win his first NBA scoring title, which could happen next season.