10 Strange NBA Stat Trends That Can't Continue

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There are always statistical anomalies in sports and this year's NBA is no exception.  I've gone through pages and pages of statistics to find some of the best (and worst) statistics from individuals playing in the NBA.

Not all stats are telling of the players skill level—take this example from the 2010-11 season—James Jones led the league in fewest turnovers per game, averaging 0.3 per game.  Does this mean he's some sort of maestro who takes great pride in protecting the ball and goes the extra mile to make crisp, clean passes to his teammates?  No, anyone who watched the Heat last year can tell you it's because the second the ball touched his hands it was going towards the rim.

Another major anomaly that we see in the NBA is the all-time leader in free throws missed—the Hall of Famer Wilt Chamberlain, who missed 5,805 out of 11,862 free throws.  Here are some of the strange stat trends from our current NBA season.

 

 

Larry Hughes: Extremely Inefficient

To be fair, Larry Hughes has only played 56 minutes this year but 30 of those minutes were last night against the Spurs.  In those 56 minutes, Larry has made exactly two field goals—one of them a three-pointer.  He has not attempted a free throw.  He barely has more points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks combined (11) than turnovers plus fouls (9).  This results in a player efficiency rating of -.5

He does make a team better every time he steps on the court, but unfortunately for Magic fans, it's the other team.  It's hard to be this bad for long—he'll either improve or stop playing.

Aaron Gray: I'll Shoot If I Have to but I'd Rather Not

Nah, I'll just watch.

Aaron Gray returned from injury last night to play 19 minutes for the Raptors in their loss to the Celtics.

In those minutes he put up this impressive stat line—0 points, 4 rebounds, 0 assists, 0 steals, 0 blocks and 3 fouls with just one shot attempted.

In fact, the last time Gray took over 10 shots was April 16th, 2008.  He'll get his shots eventually from offensive rebounds and put backs.

Kobe Bryant: Antoine Walker Is My 3-Point Shooting Coach

Please, stop letting me shoot 3's.
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Kobe has never been a great 3-point shooter, but his 33.7 percent looks stellar compared to the 24.2 percent he is shooting this year.

His numbers have consistently slid since 2008, coming down from 35.1 percent, yet he has shot progressively more each year since then.

Do we really think Kobe's going to miss that key playoff last-second shot?  Probably not, but the condensed schedule seems to be affecting Kobe's legs.

Derrick Favors: No! It's Mine and You Can't Have It!

I will not pass. I'd rather travel.

Derrick Favors has been a pleasant surprise for the Jazz this year averaging 8.1 points and 6.3 rebounds per game while shooting 51 percent from the field.

Part of it may be that he's getting a lot of practice.  You see, Derrick does not like to pass.  Derrick passes so infrequently that he has exactly one assist in 258 minutes of action.  This translates to one assist for every ten games that he plays.  This pace is remarkable because you'd think that the coach would encourage him to share a bit more.

Be on the lookout for another assist in the next seven games or so.

Raymond Felton: I Get the Least out of Every Shot

Is that our bucket?

Raymond Felton has never been a great shooter, averaging 41.1 percent with 32.8 percent from 3-point range.  This year, Raymond has dropped to 34.6 percent and 15.6 percent from 3!

Felton has the distinction of getting the least out of every shot that he takes—he averages .92 points per shot, which is dead last out of 113 qualified NBA players.  He might be trending the wrong way as well with his last game being a 1-8 showing with 2 points. Woof.

DeMarcus Cousins: Fair or Foul?

Nice try rook, that's Kobe's move.

Full disclosure—DeMarcus Cousins is filling up the stat sheet this year.  He's been really impressive on the glass, averaging 10.4 rebounds per game, as well as 1.6 blocks and 1 steal per game.

Imagine what he could do if he could just stay on the court.

He is averaging an alarming 4.6 fouls per game in just 27.2 minutes.  Is it conditioning or does he really have trouble keeping his temper in check?

LeBron James: Runaway MVP

I'm the MVP.
Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

LeBron James is one of the most polarizing figures in sports today.

People feel like he is overrated or can't come through for his team.  Truth be told, LeBron is having a season for the ages right now.  He is averaging 29.8 points, 7.9 rebounds, 7.6 assists and 1.7 steals per game.  Oh, did I mention he's shooting 57.7 percent from the field?  This from a guy who takes almost 19 shots per game and does take a lot of jump shots.

All of this translates to a gaudy 34.25 efficiency rating, which is well beyond the all-time NBA record of 31.84 for a season.  While I believe LeBron is the real deal, there's no way he can keep up this pace, especially when everyone gets healthy and wants their touches.

Timberwolves in Town: Nah, I'll Knit Instead

This stat is baffling - the Timberwolves are the leagues worst road draw, averaging only 14,394 in attendance when they come to town.  The top teams make sense because they are the ritzy and star-studded teams - Clippers, Heat, Lakers.  But what doesn't make sense is that the T'Wolves have the potential rookie of the year in Ricky Rubio, the leagues best power forward and top 5 MVP candidate Kevin Love, and a group of young, athletic players who are legitimately fun to watch.  Get out there and see them, people!

Utah Jazz: Well Behaved and Polite

This game is..zzzz..

Over the last seven years, the Utah Jazz have been in the bottom third of the league in technical fouls.  Is it because they tend to recruit a certain type of player?  Is it that the fans don't mind watching a boring game with players showing very little fire?  For whatever reason, the Jazz are dead last with just four technical fouls called on them.  By comparison, the Dallas Mavericks are at 21.  The next three teams above the Jazz are the Cavs, Pistons, and Rockets.  Not exactly NBA title contenders this year.

Kevin Love: Double-Double Machine

Everyone knows Kevin Love is a superstar and is only going to blossom and get better with the improving Minnesota Timberwolves team.  What people may not know is that Love has had a double double every game this year, going 14/14. Last year, Kevin finished 2nd in the league with 64 out of a possible 73 double doubles.  It wouldn't be realistic to expect Kevin to have a double double every single game of the year, but with his tremendous rebounding ability and his above-average 81% free throw shooting, expect him to top his total from last year.