Midseason Checkin
Some notable trends at the midway point of the 2023-24 NBA season.
As of last night, each team has now played at least 41 games this season, so I thought it would be a good time to check in on some of the notable trends we’ve seen thus far. The recurring theme is points; lots and lots of points.
Important note: All figures and comparisons you see below are through the date when all teams had reached 41 games played in the given season. For example, that was January 24, 2024 for the current season and January 13, 2023 for last season.
Teams are averaging 115.5 PPG, the highest such figure since the 1967-68 season. Only five seasons have yielded a higher scoring average, all occurring in the eight-season span from 1960-61 to 1967-68:
118.2 PPG — 1961-62
116.6 PPG — 1960-61
116.6 PPG — 1966-67
115.7 PPG — 1965-66
115.7 PPG — 1967-68
The league effective field goal percentage is 54.6%, the highest such figure in history. In fact, the top eight effective field goal percentages have all occurred in the last eight seasons:
54.6% — 2023-24
54.1% — 2022-23
53.7% — 2020-21
52.3% — 2019-20
52.3% — 2021-22
52.2% — 2018-19
52.0% — 2017-18
51.0% — 2016-17
Those are the only seasons in which the league effective field goal percentage has been 50% or higher. This is, of course, directly related to the 3-point shot. Teams are making 12.9 threes per game this season, the highest such figure in history.
If you are a free subscriber who is enjoying the content, please consider becoming a paid subscriber. This newsletter is produced by a team of one, but provides more “NBA statistical goodness” (Marc Stein) than most, if not all, major media outlets. Sign up using the special link below and you’ll get 25% off your first 12 months.
The Indiana Pacers and the Milwaukee Bucks are averaging 124.64 and 124.59 PPG, respectively, the third and fourth-highest scoring averages in history:
125.3 — Philadelphia Warriors, 1961-62
125.1 — Philadelphia 76ers, 1966-67
124.64 — Indiana Pacers, 2023-24
124.59 — Milwaukee Bucks, 2023-24
124.3 — Denver Nuggets, 1981-82
Two other teams from this season crack the top 20: the Oklahoma City Thunder (121.9 PPG, 11th) and the Boston Celtics (120.3 PPG, 19th). That’s a total of four teams scoring at least 120 PPG, double that of any other season.
On the flip side, five of the 10 highest opponent scoring averages come from this season:
124.7 — Washington Wizards (third)
122.9 — Indiana Pacers (seventh)
122.7 — Atlanta Hawks (eighth)
122.6 — Detroit Pistons (ninth)
122.1 — San Antonio Spurs (10th)
The Bucks are also allowing 120 PPG (120.4, to be exact). That’s a total of six teams giving up at least 120 PPG, double that of any other season.
Both the Pacers and the Bucks are scoring and allowing at least 120 PPG. They’re the first teams to do this since the 1990-91 Denver Nuggets. The only other season to feature two such teams was 1961-62 (Cincinnati Royals and Philadelphia Warriors).
Due to the increase in scoring plus the volatility of the 3-point shot, there have been 11 games decided by 40 or more points. That represents 1.68% of all games played, the highest such percentage in history:
1.68% — 2023-24
1.64% — 1968-69
1.57% — 1970-71
1.32% — 1991-92
1.25% — 2019-20
The average margin of victory is 12.2 PPG, the second-highest such figure behind the 1971-72 season (12.8 PPG).
Three teams have won less than 20% of their games this season:
Detroit Pistons (5-39, .114)
Washington Wizards (7-36, .163)
San Antonio Spurs (8-36, .182)
It’s the third season in which there have been three such teams, joining the 1997-98 and 2014-15 campaigns. It’s the first time three teams are on pace to lose 67 games apiece.
Are you enjoying this post? Please help spread the word by sharing it with family and friends. Your support is greatly appreciated.
On the individual side, there have been 92 cases in which a player has scored at least 40 points in a game this season, the second-highest total in league history (there were 97 last season). That’s a rate of one 40-point game every 154 player-games. The only season since 1969-70 in which 40-point games have been more common was last season (one every 141 player-games).
There have been three 60-point games, trailing only the 1961-62 (nine) and 1962-63 (seven) seasons. Those games have been produced by three different players, matching the 1961-62 season:
Joel Embiid (70 points)
Giannis Antetokounmpo (64)
Karl-Anthony Towns (62)
Four players are averaging at least 30 PPG (minimum 30 games played):
36.1 PPG — Joel Embiid
33.6 PPG — Luka Doncic
31.3 PPG — Giannis Antetokounmpo
31.1 PPG — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
That matches the 1961-62 season for the second-most such players in history (there were five last season). Sixteen players are averaging at least 25 PPG, matching the 2020-21 season for the most such players in history.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has scored at least 30 points in a game 32 times this season, tied with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1971-72) for the 10th-highest total in history. Only two guards have recorded more such games (a total of three instances):
36 — Nate Archibald, 1972-73
34 — Michael Jordan, 1986-87
33 — Jordan, 1987-88
Joel Embiid has recorded at least 30 points and 10 rebounds in a game 23 times, the most such games since Bob McAdoo’s 26 in 1974-75. Embiid and Giannis Antetokounmpo have produced at least 30 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists in 16 games apiece. That’s tied for the second-highest such total since the ABA-NBA merger, trailing only Russell Westbrook’s 18 such games in 2016-17.
Two players have recorded at least a dozen triple-doubles: Nikola Jokic (13) and Domantas Sabonis (12). The only other seasons to feature two such players are 2016-17 (Russell Westbrook and James Harden) and 2020-21 (Westbrook and Jokic).
Rookie Victor Wembanyama is averaging 20.4 PPG and 10.4 RPG despite logging just 28.5 MPG. He’s the only player since the ABA-NBA merger — rookie or otherwise — to average at least 20 PPG and 10 RPG while playing less than 30 MPG.
Great summary, Justin!