Modern NBA basketball has developed to value one word above all, efficiency. Players that can score and create efficiently on offense have always been important, but never more so than in the current era.
The advent of analytics means that each play by a player is broken down. How many points are scored every possession that a specific play is run is studied by teams when designing their offense. So here’s a look at the 15 most efficient plays in the NBA in the last 15 years according to individual seasons.
Top 15 most efficient half-court plays:
1. Stephen Curry – 2018-19 – Off-ball Screen – 1.29 points per possession
2. James Harden – 2017-18 – Isolation – 1.22 points per possession
3. Nikola Jokic – 2022-23 – Post-up – 1.22 points per possession
4. Nikola Jokic – 2021-22 – Post-up – 1.17 points per possession
5. Damian Lillard – 2019-20 – PNR Ball Handler – 1.15 points per possession
6. Damian Lillard – 2022-23 – PNR Ball Handler – 1.15 points per possession
7. Dirk Nowitzki – 2010-11 – Post-up – 1.15 points per possession
8. Stephen Curry – 2022-23 – PNR Ball Handler – 1.14 points per possession
9. DeMar DeRozan – 2021-22 – Isolation – 1.14 points per possession
10. Joel Embiid – 2022-23 – Post-up – 1.14 points per possession
11. Donovan Mitchell – 2022-23 – PNR Ball Handler – 1.13 points per possession
12. Kyrie Irving – 2016-17 – Isolation – 1.13 points per possession
13. JJ Redick – 2015-16 – Off-ball Screen – 1.13 points per possession
14. James Harden – 2019-20 – Isolation – 1.13 points per possession
15. Stephen Curry – 2020-21 – PNR Ball Handler – 1.13 points per possession
The 15 most efficient half-court plays of the last 15 seasons. pic.twitter.com/sJ6eH3bvkE
— Todd Whitehead (@CrumpledJumper) June 9, 2023
Stephen Curry leads the way. In the 2018-19 season, he created the most points per possession in the last 15 years, coming off screens while not on the ball. With his high-volume three-point shooting, he made 5.1 three-pointers per game on 43.7% efficiency, which was a major contributing factor. He shows his versatility by also appearing on the list with another play as the ball handler in a pick-and-roll.
Nikola Jokic is the only player to appear twice in the Top 5. A Jokic post-up has almost been a guaranteed bucket in the last two seasons. James Harden was the MVP in the 2017-18 NBA season, in large part thanks to the fact that teams simply did not have an answer for him in isolation. He was also either driving or taking threes for the most part, which helped his efficiency.
Damian Lillard is the only other player to appear twice on the list, although other offensive greats like Dirk Nowitzki, Kyrie Irving, and DeMar DeRozan are also on it. According to the data, pick-and-rolls with an elite ball handler are the most successful plays, although elite isolation play and post-ups aren’t far behind. This is an interesting insight into the choices NBA offenses make, and it shows why certain players are rated so highly while other high-volume players are questioned.
Nikola Jokic’s Post-Game Is The Best In The League
JJ Redick recently shut Stephen A. Smith down when he suggested that Nikola Jokic is not a dominant post player. The Nuggets superstar running the offense from the post is what has earned him two MVPs and could likely lead to a Finals MVP if the team can win two more games.
It also adds another interesting dynamic to the constant debates about him and Joel Embiid, who is regarded as the greater scorer. Embiid’s MVP season this year appears on the list, but Jokic has still created more points than him from post-ups. The eye test matters to basketball fans as it should, but the numbers don’t lie.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWWFxdQ1j4M
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