The 2017 NBA Scoring Gala

Professional basketball like we’ve never seen it before

If there was one word that could describe the 2016–2017 season, that word would most likely be “BUCKETS.”

NBA fans are witnessing a historic season, filled with box-score-busting triple-doubles, ruthless 30-foot pull-up threes, and thunderous dunks that rock NBA arenas. The game is fast. The game is fun. The game is unlike it’s ever been before. Blink for a second and you might miss Steph Curry hit back-to-back-to-back threes or Russell Westbrook go coast-to-coast and finish with a slam. Step away from the TV for a second and you could miss James Harden euro-stepping his way to a triple-double or a LeBron James no-look pass. You don’t want to miss a second of this season. Welcome to the 2017 NBA Scoring Gala.

There are several factors that make the NBA game more watchable and entertaining than perhaps in decades past. These differences may have not affected viewership for NBA die-hards or regulars, but they have been a deciding swing in claiming NBA fans that may have not been basketball fans previously. Fan of the game or not, no one can deny the evolution of the NBA and how it affects fans across the world.

Teams Scoring More Points

The leading factor that has made the NBA more entertaining for a broader audience is the exotic amount of points scored in games during the 2017 season. Currently at an average of 105.6 team points per game (NBA’s highest mark since 1991), there is rarely a game that goes by without one or two explosive player performances.

During the 1998–1999 season, this number was at 91.6 points. Nearly 20 years later, this number has jumped 15 points per team, meaning that 30 more points are being scored in every NBA game. To put that in perspective, that’s as much as MJ averaged per game over his career (30.1). Today’s NBA game scores an MJ-amount more than in 1999, just let that sink in.

Not only are points up, but there are more shots taken in a game than ever before, including 27 (!) three-point FG per team per game. That number is double what it was in 1999. Ex-NBA players, coaches, or old-school fans may cringe watching teams like the Warriors or Rockets, but the majority of fans feed off of this most exciting shot in basketball.

Aside from more points being scored by teams, the game is naturally easier to watch. The game has gotten less physical and more dependent on shooting. Consequently, turnovers and fouls are at all-time lows, which make the game a littler easier on the eyes for many NBA watchers. Game pace is also at an all-time high, meaning that more possessions are occurring, resulting in a higher probability of big-time dunks, shots, blocks, alley-oops, and in-your-eye three balls. The ball is going through the hoop more than ever before, which makes the NBA more fun to watch.

Players Scoring More Points

More so than any other factor contributing to this NBA season’s watch-ability greatness, the big-time players have been absolutely fantastic. The top five leading scorers in the NBA average a cumulative 29.2 points per game currently, which is an all-time high. The top 20 leading scorers average a cumulative 25.69 ppg, which is also the highest that it has ever been. The talent and skill level in the league is extremely deep.

Guys on nearly every team are getting buckets at high rates. Just looking at the top five scorers in the league (currently Russell Westbrook, Isaiah Thomas, James Harden, Anthony Davis and DeMar DeRozan) you see an incredible example of the versatility and explosion of the NBA. Westbrook is averaging more than 30 points per game AND a triple-double, taking a reckless 24 shots per outing. Isaiah Thomas, almost always the smallest player on the court at 5 feet 9 inches, torches opponents particularly in the fourth quarter with a league-leading 10.7 points (not to mention he was the last pick in his draft). James Harden lights it up from behind the arc, averaging 9.1 three-point attempts per game. Anthony Davis averages 28 shooting 50 percent, which is incredibly efficient. DeMar DeRozan, “The Mid-Range Mamba” scores the majority of his points from the mid-range area which seemed to be a dying art in today’s NBA. This aforementioned group is not even including NBA phenoms LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Steph Curry and Kawhi Leonard, who are widely-known as the best players in the league. The talent and level of skill in today’s NBA is something fascinating to witness, and should remain interesting to see if the next generation can keep up.

Outrageous Performances

The 2016–2017 season has been the host of some incredible individual performances, and we still have a lot of season left. Scoring 50 points does not seem like a big deal for a lot of players in today’s age, but it still remains a sight to see when watching a player reach that notable point milestone. Padding a 50-piece with some other box-score stuffing is the new cool thing. Here are some of the most outrageous performances we have seen so far this year, 50 points being the prerequisite.

• Anthony Davis, Oct 26th vs Nuggets: 50 points, 15 reb, 5 assists, 5 blk
• Russell Westbrook, Oct 28th vs Suns: 51 points, 13 rebounds, 11 assists
• Klay Thompson, Dec 5th vs Pacers: 60 points (13–19 FG, 8–14 from three)
• DeMarcus Cousins, Dec 20th vs Blazers: 55 points, 13 rebounds, 3 blocks
• James Harden, Dec 31st vs Knicks: 53 points, 16 rebounds, 17 assists
• James Harden, Jan 27th @ 76ers: 51 points, 13 rebounds, 13 assists

These are some incredible stat lines. Some might say that is a direct effect of a lack of defensive effort or scheme, which is a valid argument. Regardless, the season and performances that the NBA has produced so far this year have been nothing short of phenomenal. The NBA’s brand is reaching far more viewers as a result of this exciting entertainment, and the game is growing across the globe.

The 2016–17 NBA season has been one-of-a-kind so far. Will the players be able to keep it up with these stellar performances and high-flying antics? Will points per game continue to rise in coming years? There remains a lot yet to be seen, which makes it that much more attractive to sit down and watch the NBA in 2017. Catch it while you can, because we may not see another season like it.

All stats current as of Feb 13th