Increase in NBA Player Scores: Explanation behind the High Scoring Rates
The NBA landscape has undergone a significant transformation in recent years, with scoring rates soaring to new heights. This shift can be attributed to several key factors, including changes in offensive strategies, an emphasis on three-point shooting, and the emergence of offense-first player roles.
In the past, players like Larry Bird and Michael Jordan, legendary figures of the 1980s and 1990s, never managed to score 70 points in a game. Today, this feat is becoming increasingly common, with two back-to-back 70-point games occurring just four days apart in January 2024.
One of the primary reasons for this rise in scoring is the faster pace and innovative offensive strategies that modern teams employ. Styles like "Nellie Ball" and "run-and-gun," which prioritize more field goal attempts, have had a significant influence on this trend, increasing scoring opportunities.
Another significant factor is the emphasis on three-point shooting. The rise of the three-point shot as a key weapon has increased scoring, as teams prioritize spacing to enable more open three-point attempts, which yield higher points per shot on average than mid-range attempts.
Moreover, many teams today have multiple offensive-oriented contributors who prioritize scoring over defense, leading to higher combined team scores. Some teams face challenges balancing offense and defense, sometimes playing weak defenders to maintain offensive spacing and output.
The evolution of player skill sets has also played a crucial role in this transformation. Players like Giannis Antetokounmpo and DeMar DeRozan, who are prolific scorers with diverse offensive skills, have driven the overall scoring averages higher in recent years.
Past eras featured longer possession times and defensive tactics that slowed scoring. The introduction of the shot clock decades ago sped up the game considerably, and continued rule adjustments have favored offense.
In contrast, historic high-scoring games like those between the Denver Nuggets and Detroit Pistons in 1983 or the Warriors and Nuggets in 1990 had unique run-and-gun coaching strategies focused on offense but were less typical for the era. The modern NBA, however, sees more widespread adoption of fast-paced, three-point-heavy offenses contributing to consistently higher scoring games.
Notably, players like Al Horford, Brook Lopez, and Naz Reid all have better three-point percentages than Michael Jordan, a testament to the evolution of shooting in the league. Centers and forwards in today's league shoot over 35% from three-point range, a number that was not feasible for even the best scorers of the 90s and 2000s.
James Harden, for example, averaged 36.1 points per game in the 2018-2019 season, with only Wilt Chamberlain in 1961 having a higher point-per-minute stat. Michael Jordan, a famous player of the 1990s, had a career three-point percentage of 32.7%, which would rank 155th in today's league.
Current centers like Karl-Anthony Towns have one of the highest three-point percentages in the league at 41.6%, and he is not the only center to be lethal from long-range. Since 2017, five new players have scored 70 points in a single game, a feat that was once rare and now seems to be happening more frequently.
Luka Doncic, a current top-5 MVP player, averages four more points per game than Oscar Robertson, a top player in the 1962 NBA season. The trend of high-scoring players has evolved from the era where men like Wilt Chamberlain dominated to the current era of multidimensional players regularly scoring 50+ points in less time on the court. This is due to a combination of factors, including the introduction of the three-point shot and the stagnation of defense in the league.
Until recently, there were only five games with 70+ points by a single player, three of which were by Wilt Chamberlain. Since then, the next-highest number of points scored in a game by a single player was 81, achieved by Kobe Bryant of the Lakers in 2006. Steph Curry's playstyle has been a major factor in the increase in three-point shooting, with the amount of three-point shots doubling since his debut in 2009.
The rise in scoring is a function of faster pace, strategic emphasis on efficient scoring shots (three-pointers), more offensive-minded player roles, and rules that encourage a more offensive game flow. This transformation in the NBA continues to captivate fans and reshape the way the game is played.
Sports news has been buzzing with the surge in scoring rates in the NBA, a transformation largely attributed to the emergence of innovative offensive strategies, an increased emphasis on three-point shooting, and the rise of offense-first player roles. The editorial piece discusses how players today, like Giannis Antetokounmpo and DeMar DeRozan, score higher averages compared to legendary figures like Michael Jordan.
In contrast to the past, where players like Jordan never managed to score 70 points in a game, modern players are breaking this record more frequently. For instance, two back-to-back 70-point games occurred just four days apart in January 2024, highlighting the rapid increase in scoring.
An analysis of the numbers reveals that the introduction of the three-point shot and the stagnation of defense in the league have played significant roles in this transformation. Players today, even centers and forwards, shoot over 35% from three-point range, a number that wasn't feasible for even the best scorers of the 90s and 2000s.
