Predicting the NBA Leader in Every Major Stat This Season
It may be early in the NBA season, but it's never too early to start speculating about the end of it.
We're almost a fifth of the way in, which is just enough of a sample size to start figuring out whose starts are for real and what may be an illusion.
Who will keep up their pace, and who will eventually drop off? But, more importantly, who will end the season at the top of the stat categories?
Scoring Title: Stephen Curry
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Last year's MVP seems to have gotten even better, and that's a scary thought.
Stephen Curry averaged 23.8 points per game last season and right now is scoring at a clip of 32.7 a game. That's quite a jump—and probably not sustainable.
At the same time, however, it's still more than four points a game higher than the next guy on the list, Russell Westbrook at 28.1, which is exactly what Westbrook averaged last year to take the title.
My money is on Curry breaking 30 points per game and winning the scoring title.
Rebounding Title: Andre Drummond
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Another obvious choice here, Andre Drummond has officially made the leap this year and is playing like a man among boys out on the court.
Drummond is currently averaging an absurd 17.6 rebounds per game, up from 13.5 last year when he took second. DeAndre Jordan won the crown last year with 15 per game and is currently sitting at 13 per game this season.
It's easy to say that Drummond probably won't keep up this pace, but after watching him play so far, 18 rebounds a game for an entire season actually seems possible. That's why I don't think anyone is catching him.
Assist Title: Rajon Rondo
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Russell Westbrook was the leader in the house with 10.1 assists per game, but Rajon Rondo has overtaken him with a flurry of assists recently, now standing at 10.8 per game.
After a slow start to his season, Rondo has averaged 14.1 assists a game over his last nine games, including his 20-assist performance against the Hornets Monday night.
With the way the Kings offense is set up and a guy such as DeMarcus Cousins to throw the ball to, it's possible he can keep this hot streak going.
Blocks Title: Hassan Whiteside
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Last year, Rudy Gobert looked to be one of the best young shot-blockers in the league, and many people, myself included, expected him to lead the league in the category before the season started.
Well, Hassan Whiteside has 32 blocks in his last five games. Gobert has 30 blocks on the season.
Step aside, Stifle Tower—Miami's big man is dominating defensively like we haven't seen in some time. Right now, Whiteside is averaging 4.8 blocks per game, which would only be the fourth-best single-season clip of all time.
Even if he doesn't get there, nobody in the league is catching Whiteside in blocked shots.
Field-Goal Percentage: DeAndre Jordan
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DeAndre Jordan won this category last year, and there's no reason to think he won't do so again.
According to his shot chart, courtesy of Vorped.com, Jordan took just six shots outside of the paint last season. Four of those were most likely heaves at the end of the quarter or end of the shot clock. The point being, he stays in the paint and does damage there.
Jordan is currently shooting .707 from the floor, comparable to his .710 last season. The next-closest player is Whiteside with .608. Put Jordan down for this one again.
Steals: Russell Westbrook
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This one is a little harder to predict. Last season, it was Kawhi Leonard, an excellent defender, but so far, he's just 14th in the NBA. The current leader is Kyle Lowry, who tied for 20th last season.
I'm going to go with Russell Westbrook. He's always around the ball and always going full speed, and he is crafty. Last season, he finished second with 2.09 steals per game. So far, he's already ahead of that pace with 2.4.
Other players may drop off, but Westbrook is going to be the guy who sticks around.
Three-Point Field Goals: Steph Curry
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Do I even need to put anything here? It's going to be Curry.
Three-Point Percentage: Kyle Korver
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Right now, Dirk Nowitzki leads the league in three-point shooting with .533. That's easily the best of his long career, with his previous high being .421. He's not attempting more or fewer treys than normal, so that should even out eventually.
I'm going to play it safe and say Kyle Korver. Even though he hasn't had the "hottest" start ever with a .411 percent clip, it's still entirely possible for him to get hot again and get right back to his usual percentages. You know, like the .536 he shot last season that actually was an NBA record. It probably won't be that high, but my guess is it will be high enough to lead the league.
All stats obtained on November 23.
