The NBA is where amazing happens and that’s not just a motto. If anything, the teams and players somehow always find different ways to shock the world and write their names in history books, even if that may seem impossible at this point.
- 10. Trae Young Is Averaging 11.0 Free-Throws Per Game
- 9. Nikola Jokic Is Averaging More Assists Per Game Than Trae Young, LeBron James, And Ben Simmons
- 8. Seth Curry Is Shooting 54.3% From Three-Point Range
- 7. Michael Porter Jr Is Shooting 70.4% In Two-Pointers
- 6. Myles Turner Is Blocking 4.1 Shots Per Game
- 5. Kelly Oubre Jr Has More Turnovers Than Three-Pointers
- 4. Jarrett Allen Has An Offensive Rating Of 140
- 3. Larry Nance Jr Leads The NBA In Defensive Box Plus/Minus
- 2. Luka Doncic Is Shooting 20.8% From Three
- 1. Stephen Curry Is Averaging More Points Than Kelly Oubre Jr, Andrew Wiggins, And Draymond Green Combined
Obviously, the first patch of the season is always full of crazy and incredible stats. Later, the laws of averages tend to even things out, especially because teams have more film to watch and often make adjustments based on their matchups.
Then again, we’ve also seen some historical seasons over the past couple of years, so there’s no reason to think that some players couldn’t keep up with the pace they’ve been playing thus far, and that’s why today, we’re going to let you know about the top 10 craziest stats of the 2020/21 NBA season:
10. Trae Young Is Averaging 11.0 Free-Throws Per Game
Trae Young has turned a lot of heads lately. Why some continue to give him a lot of praise for his craftiness and all the little things he does to score, some others believe that he’s tricking the referees and getting way too much respect from the officials.
That’s natural if you consider that Young is currently leading the league with 11.0 free-throw attempts per game. To put it in context, the Phoenix Suns are taking 18.7 free-throws per game as a team, and James Harden has never averaged more than 11.8. Also, Trae is knocking down 87.9% of those free-throws.
9. Nikola Jokic Is Averaging More Assists Per Game Than Trae Young, LeBron James, And Ben Simmons
While it shouldn’t come as a surprise to see Nikola Jokic among the league’s leaders in assists per game, the fact that a big man is averaging more assists per game than some of the league’s finest playmakers – which happen to be point guards – is remarkable.
Thus far, Jokic is handing out a league-high 10.9 dimes per game, ahead of Trae Young (9.1), Chris Paul (8.3), LeBron James (7.4), Ben Simmons, and every other starting point guard in the league, and you know that he can definitely keep up with that pace.
8. Seth Curry Is Shooting 54.3% From Three-Point Range
Even if he doesn’t get the credit or recognition his older brother Steph does, we already know that Seth Curry can knock down three-pointers at a high rate. As a matter of fact, he’s the active leader in three-point percentage (44.6%) and might as well end up as the all-time leader after this season.
The younger brother of the Curry household is knocking down a whopping and absurd 54.3% of his three-point attempts, which would be unsustainable for any other human without those kinds of genes. Also, he’s taking 5.0 per game, so it’s not like he’s not a volume shooter.
7. Michael Porter Jr Is Shooting 70.4% In Two-Pointers
Denver Nuggets youngster Michael Porter Jr showcased his talents during the bubble in Orlando. Yes, he’ll be a defensive liability for the foreseeable future but he makes up for it by already being an elite and versatile scorer and that’s why he’ll continue to start.
In fact, Michael Porter Jr trails only Thomas Bryant (71.7%) in terms of efficiency when it comes to shooting from inside the paint, knocking down 70% of his attempts. He’s currently averaging 19.5 points per game and it’s just getting started.
6. Myles Turner Is Blocking 4.1 Shots Per Game
Myles Turner has already established himself as one of the league’s finest rim protectors and shot-blockers so seeing his name at the top of the list shouldn’t be a surprise. Nonetheless, he’s just swatting shots at an absurd rate right now and no one else is even close.
Throughout the first 7 games of the season, the Indiana Pacers big man is blocking a whopping 4.1 shots per game, which is way more than the 2.2 Chris Boucher has and 2.1 Rudy Gobert swats on a nightly basis. He also has multiple 8-block games this season.
5. Kelly Oubre Jr Has More Turnovers Than Three-Pointers
The expectations and hopes were high for Kelly Oubre Jr entering this season after breaking out with the Phoenix Suns last year. However, his tenure with the Golden State Warriors couldn’t be gotten off to a worse start, especially in terms of efficiency.
Thus far, Kelly Oubre Jr has piled up more turnovers (13) than made three-pointers (6). He’s connecting on just 16.7% of his attempts from beyond the arc, which is far below his career average of 32.4%. He can’t be this bad for a full season, though.
4. Jarrett Allen Has An Offensive Rating Of 140
There were a lot of doubts regarding whether Steve Nash was going to star Jarrett Allen or DeAndre Jordan this season and it seems like the first has done enough merits to finally get the nod, as he’s been one of the brightest spots for the Brooklyn Nets so far.
Shockingly, though, Allen hasn’t made an impact just because of his defensive expertise and rebounding skills but also because of all the lanes he’s opened for his teammates. Thus far, he’s leading the league with an incredible offensive rating of 140.
3. Larry Nance Jr Leads The NBA In Defensive Box Plus/Minus
We all know that Larry Nance Jr is a solid defender but we never thought of him as a legit Defensive Player of the Year candidate. Well, it may be pretty early in the season, but the Cleveland Cavaliers’ defense has improved a lot and Larry Nance Jr deserves a lot of credit for it.
Believe it or not, the former Los Angeles Lakers big man currently leads the league in defensive plus/minus (3.2), ahead of defensive stars like Ben Simmons (3.1), Marc Gasol (3.0), Bam Adebayo (2.7), Myles Turner (2.6), and even Rudy Gobert (1.3).
2. Luka Doncic Is Shooting 20.8% From Three
Luka Doncic is one of the most respected players in the league already and for very good reasons. There’s almost nothing he can’t do with the rock on his hand and he’ll always find a way to score. Nonetheless, his three-point shooting has been just awful this season.
Doncic is currently the 170th ranked NBA player in terms of three-point shooting. His efficiency has regressed to levels we hadn’t witness throughout his young career in the league, but it’s only a matter of time before he figures it out. So far, he’s just 10 for 48 from beyond the arc.
1. Stephen Curry Is Averaging More Points Than Kelly Oubre Jr, Andrew Wiggins, And Draymond Green Combined
Just when people started to question his legacy, Stephen Curry made sure to put his doubters at ease. Besides his massive 62-point explosion, Stephen Curry is also leading the NBA in points per game with 32.0, which is almost twice as much as the second-leading scorer on his team.
Andrew Wiggins (17.6), Draymond Green (2.0), and James Wiseman (11.4) combine for just 31.0 points, while Kelly Oubre has only scored 10.9 per game. So yeah, it’s about time people start giving Curry his flowers and stop that narrative of him not being able to carry a team.
