(PHOTO CREDIT: Layne Murdoch Jr./NBAE.)
I’m sure you all noticed that scoring has been much higher in the first week of the season than previous seasons. Well, we looked up the numbers and…
2018-2019 NBA SCORING AVERAGE: 112.9 PPG
2017-2018: 106.3
2016-2017: 105.6
2015-2016: 102.7
2014-2015: 100.0
That’s more than a six-point jump from last season. I’m not sure if this will keep up. But a few things to consider here because it IS easy to say that the NBA “doesn’t play defense.”
Let’s take a closer look on why scoring has made a jump.
(Data from Basketball Reference.)
As you can see, overall offensive rating (points scored per 100 possessions) is up (which means defensive rating got worse and that gives ammo for people who yell that the NBA plays no defense). But as we also notice, shots overall are up. Field goal attempts in general are up (as well as field goals converted). Same goes for three-pointers (as well as two-pointers). Not only that but free throws made and attempted are up as well. Teams fouling more in general have definitely affected that (four more than last season).
Teams are also playing much faster. Look at the jump in pace (possessions per 48 minutes). So that definitely means more possessions in general, which can only mean more shots.
Another thing to factor in is that when a team gets an offensive rebound, the shot clock is reset to 14 seconds, instead of 24. It’s not a huge effect but every little thing counts.
The funny thing is that only one team scored more points than this season’s average (Golden State Warriors scored 113.5 points per game). This season, we have five teams scoring over 120 points per game, including the New Orleans Pelicans, who are rolling at 140 points per game!
We also have 22 teams this season that are going over a pace of 100 possessions per 48 minutes, compared to three teams last season.
Now it’s only been a week and chances are that this ridiculous scoring and pace won’t keep up. But it IS a noticeable trend because those box scores were jumping out at us.
I’m sure this is what Adam Silver and the NBA had in mind when they were making all these rule changes.
Rey-Rey is on Twitter at @TheNoLookPass.
His podcast is at Rey-Rey Is Fundamental.