The 2022-23 NBA season is less than one week away, as two games are slated for opening night on Tuesday. The Philadelphia 76ers and the Boston Celtics are first up on the docket at TD Garden at 7:30 p.m. (ET).

The Sixers and C’s, expected to be two of the top teams in the Eastern Conference, feature reigning scoring leader Joel Embiid against Jayson Tatum – who was 11th in scoring in the league last season.

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The second game of the night will see the Golden State Warriors get their 2022 NBA Championship rings and lift their championship banner against the Los Angeles Lakers. The Dubs should again be one of the top teams in the Western Conference as they return all five starters from a year ago and their top seven players overall from a year ago.

Meanwhile, L.A. is looking to return to the playoffs this year after finishing 11th in the Western Conference a year ago. Los Angeles still has Lebron James, who was second in the league in scoring in 2021-22 and Anthony Davis, along with Russell Westbrook. So, who will win the 2022 scoring title?

Top Contenders to Lead the NBA in Scoring

Joel Embiid (+275) – Philadelphia 76ers

Embiid has to be the favorite, as he averaged a league-high 30.6 points last year with the top usage rate of 33.5. He scored 30 or more points in 40 of his 68 appearances, which includes 12 40-point outings and one 50-point contest.

Embiid’s offensive game has developed so much since his rookie season. He is an outstanding shooter and possesses the most dangerous inside/outside game in the league for a big man. Plus, I see his usage to be relatively the same as last season due to the 76ers having essentially the same team as a year ago.

Embiid has finished in the top four of the league in scoring three times.

Giannis Antetokounmpo (+375) – Milwaukee Bucks

Antetokounmpo has been one of the top scorers in the NBA for the last five seasons, as he has produced at least 27 PPG in each of the previous five years.

Antetokounmpo topped the 2000-point plateau for the second time ever last season. He finished the campaign with a career-best 29.9 points a contest, thanks in large part to getting to the line over 11 times a game and making a personal best 8.3 free throws from the charity stripe.

Antekounmpo reached the 30-point mark 34 times in 2021-22, topping 40 points on nine occasions and 50-points once. The powerful forward is excellent around the rim and has developed his mid-range game to where he is pretty much money from 10-to-20 feet.

However, Antetokounmpo has yet to become an average 3-point shooter, which limits his scoring potential, especially if he continues to shoot a fair amount of them.

I expect Antekounmpo to be counted on to carry the offensive workload even more, at least early in the season, as Khris Middleton is out due to a wrist injury. Antekounmpo has posted a usage percentage of 32.3%-to-37.2% over the last four years.

Luka Doncic (+475) – Dallas Mavericks

Doncic may be the most talented offensive wizard in the game today. Still 23 years old, Doncic has tallied between 27 and 29 points per contest in the last three seasons. He finished third in the scoring race in 2021-22 with 28.4 points.

I wholly expect Doncic – who has finished first or second in NBA in usage percentage over the last three years – to have the ball in his hands even more this year with Jalen Brunson now in New York. I also believe that he will get to the basket even more, which should result in more free-throw attempts, as neither Spencer Dinwiddie or Christian Wood – the Mavericks other main offensive threats – can’t create their own shot.

The key to Doncic’s chances to win the scoring title in 2022-23 will be to stay healthy. Doncic has only played more than 66 games once in his career and is coming off a campaign where he played in 15 postseason contests and the European Championships this summer.

Kevin Durant (+650) – Brooklyn Nets

If the Nets are ever going to live up to the lofty expectations of winning an NBA title, it will be on Durant’s shoulders. Durant is getting a little long in the tooth, but he is arguably the best pure scorer in the league’s history and can still tickle the twine with the best.

The 34-year-old is one of three players in NBA history to average more than 25 points a game and a true shooting percentage of at least .600 for his career.

Health is a significant concern. Durant produced nearly 30 points a game in 2021-22 – his highest total since winning the scoring title in 2013-14. However, he was limited to 55 contests and has only made 90 appearances over the past three seasons.

Trae Young (+1100) – Atlanta Hawks

Young can score from anywhere on the court and is a fabulous free-throw shooter. The 24-year-old guard compiled 28.4 points a game with a career-best 53.6% effective field goal percentage and a 60.3% true shooting percentage.

Plus, Young has finished in the top six in usage percentage the past three seasons. While I expect his usage percentage to be high again this year, he finally has someone else who can create for others in Dejounte Murray, which should open more scoring opportunities for Young.

NBA Odds

Sleepers to Win the NBA Scoring Title

Jayson Tatum (+1600) – Boston Celtics

The 24-year-old forward’s offensive game is evolving. Tatum is a talented scorer and an outstanding shooter. He topped the 50-point mark twice in 2021-22.

While Tatum is Boston’s No. 1 option, I’m not sure the volume will be as heavy as the past two seasons – when he took over 20 shots a game – with the addition of Malcolm Brogdon.

Ja Morant (+2000) – Memphis Grizzlies

Morant came into his own last year as he produced a career-high 27.4 points a game and a personal-best 50.3% effective field goal percentage.

The 23-year-old point guard will likely be counted on to carry more of the offensive workload with Jaren Jackson Jr. (foot) potentially out until January and De’Anthony Melton in Philadelphia.

Zion Williamson (+2000) – New Orleans Pelicans

The NBA world hasn’t seen much of the top pick of the 2019 draft, but he has definitely demonstrated that he can put the ball in the basket in his 85 career appearances. Williamson has looked good during the preseason.

NBA Picks

Longshots to Win the 2022-23 NBA Scoring Title

Bradley Beal, Wizards (+3300), Kyrie Irving (+3300), Nikola Jokic, Nuggets (+3300), Kawhi Leonard, Clippers (+5000), and DeMar DeRozan, Bulls (+6600).

Pick: Luka Doncic (+475)