Midseason Observations

Some observations from around the NBA as we pass the midpoint of the season.

Now that all 30 NBA teams have played at least 41 games, I thought it might be interesting to put together some midseason observations from around the league. Any references to totals, past or present, are through 41 team games (even if a team has played more than 41 games this season). All per-game statistics are also through 41 team games and require a minimum of 29 player games played. Player shooting percentages require a minimum number of makes: 150 field goals, 41 3-pointers, or 63 free throws.

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• The leaders in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks:

  • 1,258 PTS — Luka Doncic

  • 499 REB — Domantas Sabonis

  • 402 AST — Tyrese Haliburton

  • 82 STL —  O.G. Anunoby

  • 103 BLK — Brook Lopez

• The leaders in PPG, RPG, APG, SPG, and BPG:

  • 34.0 PPG — Luka Doncic

  • 12.5 RPG — Domantas Sabonis

  • 10.3 APG — Tyrese Haliburton

  • 2.22 SPG — O.G. Anunoby

  • 2.63 BPG — Nic Claxton

• Ten players scored at least 1,000 points, tying the NBA record for the most such players through 41 team games set in 2020-21.

• Five players averaged at least 30 PPG, the most such players in NBA history through 41 team games. The previous mark of four such players was established in 1961-62, when there were only nine teams in the league.

• Seventeen players averaged at least 25 PPG, matching the 2020-21 season for the most such players through 41 team games in NBA history. No other season has produced more than 12 such players through 41 team games.

• Forty-five players averaged at least 20 PPG, seven more such players than any other season in NBA history through 41 team games.

• There were 93 40-point games, 23 more such games than any other season in NBA history through 41 team games. Thirty-five different players recorded a 40-point game, the second-highest such figure in NBA history through 41 team games (39, 2020-21).

• There were 15 50-point games, the most such games through 41 team games since the 1962-63 season. Eleven different players accounted for those games, three more such players than any other season in NBA history through 41 team games.

• The Denver Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic had a scoring average of 24.9 PPG with a true shooting percentage of 69.0%, the latter the highest such figure in NBA history by a player who averaged at least 20 PPG through his team’s first 41 games.

• Jokic had an effective field goal percentage of 64.6%. The only player in NBA history to average at least 20 PPG through 41 team games with a higher effective field goal percentage is Wilt Chamberlain in 1966-67 (69.1%).