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The top contenders for the Ford Trophy

The top contenders for the Ford Trophy

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28 September 20226 Mins read

The Alphonso Ford Top Scorer Trophy is awarded annually to the player who has averaged the most points over the EuroLeague season. Not since the late Ford himself in 2002 has a player led the league in scoring in back-to-back seasons. Vasilije Micic of Anadolu Efes Istanbul will attempt to do that, but he will have stiff competition both from players he knows well as well as a few high-scoring EuroLeague newcomers. Here’s a look at the top candidates to capture the Ford Trophy this season.

Nando De Colo, LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne

A former EuroLeague MVP, De Colo led the league in scoring during the 2015-16 season with a career-high 19.4 points per game. He has averaged at least 15 points per game in five different seasons and enters this season needing 630 points to become the competition’s all-time leading scorer. One of the greatest shooters in EuroLeague history, he has seven 50–40-90 seasons. After a down year, all signs point to De Colo being the go-to guy in his first season with ASVEL and that should translate into a lot of points.

Carsen Edwards, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul

Although there may be a learning curve as he settles into the EuroLeague, Edwards has a proven track record as an elite scorer. He led the G-League in scoring last season with 26.8 points per game. In college, he set the record for most threes in a single NCAA Tournament with 28 over four games and the potential for that red-hot shooting makes him dangerous whenever he takes the court. Add to that playing alongside assist maestro Nick Calathes and defenses also paying attention to the rest of the Fenerbahce stars and Edwards could find himself scoring in bunches as a EuroLeague rookie.

Markus Howard, Cazoo Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz

Howard left a trail of smashed records in his wake in college and, after playing in a reserve role in the NBA the last two seasons, he should be eager to attack baskets all over the EuroLeague. Howard led all of college basketball in scoring with 27.8 points per game for Marquette University and is ranked 21st in NCAA history with 2.761 points, which set his school’s career scoring record, too. His 434 career three-pointers are tied for the eighth-most in NCAA Division I history. Howard should have the green light to shoot early and often for Baskonia and could be in the mix for the Ford Trophy.

Mike James, AS Monaco

James could make a great case as the best scorer in EuroLeague history. His career average of 16.2 points per game is seventh on the all-time charts, but none of the players in front of him have played even half as many games as James’s 205. He is also, coincidentally, seventh in total points scored with 3,318 and figures to keep climbing that chart this season. The Ford Trophy winner in 2019, James has been among the top three scorers in each of the past three seasons. The biggest question surrounding James’s scoring ability this season with Monaco will be how the additions of fellow high-scoring guards Elie Okobo and Jordan Loyd affect his shot totals.

Shane Larkin, Anadolu Efes Istanbul

Larkin was fifth in the league in scoring last season with 14.7 points per game and it was his lowest output in the last three seasons. He was the runaway league leader with 22.2 points per game in 2019-20 before the COVID-19 pandemic brought a premature end to the season. A reported hand injury is likely to cause Larkin to miss the start of the season and if that lingers, or he plays fewer minutes early on after his return, it could lower his chances of taking home the Ford Trophy. But the truth is that Larkin has eyes set on a much bigger trophy.

Vasilije Micic, Anadolu Efes Istanbul

The Ford Trophy went to Micic last season for the first time after he led the league with 18.2 points per game. The league MVP the previous season, Micic reached the 20-point mark in half of his 17 appearances and should be just as dangerous this season. As a combo guard with great passing vision, defenses are always forced to gamble against Micic because he can exploit double teams, overpower many guards on the way to the basket and he is physical enough to absorb contact and finish against bigger defenders. The last player to lead the league in scoring in consecutive seasons was Alphonso Ford himself and Micic has a chance to do just that.

Nikola Mirotic, FC Barcelona

The list of Ford Trophy winners is traditionally dominated by guards and Mirotic seems to be the best candidate to change that. Since he joined Barcelona in 2019, Mirotic has averaged the third-most points in the league and his 16.9 points per game last season were second-most in the competition. He is one of the best shooters in the league; last season he was 11th in two-point accuracy (65.5%) and fourth in three-point accuracy (46.3%). Mirotic may miss the start of the season to injury, but when he is at full strength he has all the tools to compete for the scoring title.

Dzanan Musa, Real Madrid

Musa makes his return to the EuroLeague after a fantastic season with Rio Breogan in which he led the Spanish League in scoring with 20.1 points per game. Only 23 years of age, Musa has a vast array of skills and Real Madrid brought him in to be a big part of the club’s future. The only thing standing in his way of challenging for the Ford Trophy this season is the loaded roster around him and the need to share shots. Nevertheless, Musa has displayed the ability to score throughout his career and is certainly a player to keep an eye on.

Nemanja Nedovic, Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade

After leading Panathinaikos Athens in scoring and finishing seventh in the league with 14.3 points per game last season, Nedovic is back home in the capital of Serbia and should have many more opportunities to score. Nedovic has two prior EuroLeague seasons in which he averaged at least 16 points, including 2017-18 when his 16.8 were second in the league. As a leader on Zvezda, Nedovic should have the freedom and confidence to shoot when he’s comfortable and that could lead to some big numbers this season.

Scottie Wilbekin, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul

No player has made more three-pointers over the past four seasons than Wilbekin’s 333 and he is fourth in total points scored in that span, too. What will his role look like with Fenerbahce this season? Wilbekin will for the first time in many years play alongside a natural point guard and that could lead to him getting even better looks than when he had to work to create shots for himself. Wilbekin’s shooting range, coupled with his elusive moves to get to the basket, make him a danger whenever he steps on the floor and a regular on the list of top scorers.