There are a lot of ways a player can impact the game without needing to score. Obviously, the team with the most points is going to win, but you also need defense, rebounding, playmaking and basketball IQ.
Some players have never made a living out of their offense. Sometimes because their teams need them to do other stuff, sometimes because that’s just not their strongest attribute.
However, they’ve still paved their way to a successful career and have played a major part on Championship teams. Today, we’re going to let you know about 6 NBA stars that never averaged 20+ points per game in a season:
Dennis Rodman
Best Season: 11.6 PPG
Dennis Rodman barely even looked at the rim to score, yet he won 5 NBA Championships and played a huge role in all of them. Considered by some as the best rim protector and most dominant rebounder ever, he could’ve grabbed 20 boards and not score a single point.
As a matter of fact, other than the 1987-88 season – his sophomore year – he never even averaged 10 points per game. Still, he led the league in rebounds 7 times, and won 2 Defensive Player of the Year awards.
John Stockton
Best Season: 17.2 PPG
John Stockton was a late bloomer. It took him a while to establish himself as a starter, but he never took his feet away from the gas once he had a chance to prove his worth. Still, he was never much of a scorer.
Stockton is considered to be one of the 3 greatest point guards ever. A pass-first, defensive-minded player that would always look to set his teammates up. His best scoring seasons were in 1989-90 and 1990-91, when he scored 17.2 points per game. He also led the league in dimes 9 straight times and twice in steals.
Steve Nash
Best Season: 18.8 PPG
Steve Nash looked like a bust during his first years in the league, but once he got the chance to start, he completely changed the way the game was played. Now, he’s one of the most influential players to ever lace them up.
Nash ran the point in arguably the most entertaining offense ever during his stint with the Phoenix Suns. However, he never averaged more than 18.8 points per game (2005-06 season). He won 2 MVPs, lead the league in assists 5 times, and is an 8-time All-Star.
Bill Russell
Best Season: 18.9 PPG
Bill Russell completely dominated the league during his time with the Celtics. He won 11 Championships through a span of 13 seasons, and was the league’s leader in rebounds in 5 of those seasons, never averaging under 18.6 rebounds per game.
However, he wasn’t much of a dominant scorer, as he made the most of his damage at the defensive end of the floor. As a matter of fact, aside from the 1961-62 season, he never averaged more than 18.2 points per game.
Manu Ginobili
Best Season: 19.5 PPG
Even though he doesn’t have enough awards to show for it, some people consider Manu Ginobili as the greatest sixth man in the history of the game, as he could do a lot of things more than just scoring to help the Spurs be at their best.
Besides the 2007-08 season, Ginobili never even averaged more than 17 points. Still, he helped the Spurs win 4 Championships, won the Sixth Man of the Year award, and made it to a couple of All-Star Games.
Andre Iguodala
Best Season: 19.9 PPG
Andre Iguodala has proven to be one of the most mature and smart players of the past decade. He embraced a much lesser role with the Golden State Warriors to come off the bench despite being a former All-Star and first scoring option.
Iguodala gave up a lot of offensive touches throughout his career, especially towards the final years when he was more of a defensive specialist. Still, he won 3 Championships and 1 Finals MVP, so he must have no regrets at all. Other than the 2007-08 season, his highest-scoring season was in 2009, when he averaged 18.8 points per game.
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