Race for MVP | Scorers deal damage

Basket USA has been serving you for over a decade Top 5 Candidates for the “Most Valuable Player” trophy (MVP)”. For our second contest, we decided to focus on crazy scoring performances by NBA power forwards.

There are currently no fewer than seven players (!) averaging at least 30 points after three weeks of competition: Luka Doncic (36.0), Stephen Curry (32.6), Giannis Antetokounmpo (31.8), Jason Tatum (31.2), Donovan Mitchell (31.2), Kevin Durant (31.0) and finally Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (30.8).

If each of them continues that pace offensively, or if more are added to that list, it will be the first time in history that many players have scored more than 30 points per game in a season. A record so far always In the 1961/62 season, six of them averaged at least 30 points: Wilt Chamberlain (50.4), Elgin Baylor (38.3), Walt Bellamy (31.6), Bob Pettit (31.1), Oscar Robertson (30.8) and finally Jerry West ( 30.8).

Suffice it to say that after recovery, the goalies talk about the dust quite a bit. Because, individually, there are those who have made a successful start and above all show no signs of slowing down…

Luka Doncic following in the footsteps of Wilt Chamberlain

This is especially so Luka Doncic, remained in “Chamberlesque” bases. In nine games, he never dropped below 30 points, his “lowest” total was 31 units! Hence the “Chamberlesque” basics, as a streak of nine straight games of 30 points or more to start a season, set by Wilt Chamberlain in 1962/63: 23 straight games to start a season with 30 points or more!

Additionally, if he continues his pace, the Slovenian could become the fourth player in Mavericks history to finish a campaign with at least 35 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. Along with Wilt Chamberlain (1963/64), Michael Jordan (1987/88) and James Harden (2018/19) in this extremely closed circle…

But Luka Doncic isn’t the only one to score so far. For example, despite their mixed collective results, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant It looks like they could combine the Top 3 oldest players to finish the season with at least 30 points per game. Both have no chance of matching LeBron James’ 37-year span (2021/22) at age 34, but they can already do better than Michael Jordan’s (1995/96) age 32 and… Curry himself (2020/21).

Moreover, thanks to the insane efficiency in shooting (the famous ” true draw percentage ”, or TS%), the Warriors point guard (68.5 TS%) and the Nets winger (64.1 TS%) had stronger than expected career best campaigns: 2015/16 for Stephen Curry and 2013/14 for Kevin Durant for. Where they averaged 30.1 and 32.0 points per game, respectively, “ true draw percentage » 66.9% for Curry and 63.5% for Durant…

In addition, Stephen Curry, who is currently not content with posting the highest points average of his career and being more efficient than ever, is in the “50/40/90” club based on a new training (50% shooting, 40% 3-pointers and 90% shooting) and 30- to do so by collecting more points than That’s it!

Donovan Mitchell starts with a bang

Not to mention how the ball started Jason Tatum and Donovan Mitchell ? In the middle of his sixth year in the league, two fellow 2017 draft picks have rarely caught fire and come to the point of seriously asserting themselves with Boston and Cleveland. the poor For the MVP title.

On one hand, the Celtics winger is currently tied for the highest scoring average by a Celtics player, held by Larry Bird (29.9) since the 1987/88 season. Unsurprisingly, Taco Jay is now the most points scored in a C uniform (312) after ten games, ahead of Sam Jones (295 in 1965/66) and John Havlicek (281 in 1970/71).

On the other hand, the Cavs guard is off to a dream start in Ohio, scoring at least 281 points in nine games. So much so that only Wilt Chamberlain scored more points “Spida” in new colors in the first nine performances : 345 in 1959/60 (rookie year…)!

Finally, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander they also have the best scoring average of their careers. If he maintains his 30+ points, 10+ rebounds and 5+ assists stats, The Greek Freak would even become the sixth player in history, and the second since the ABA/NBA merger, to post such numbers in a single season. As for “SGA,” he would cement his status as the third-best player of the Thunder era behind Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.

While it’s not guaranteed that the various players previously named will continue their attacking pace throughout this 2022/23 financial year, the fact remains that it’s off to a historic start in terms of goalscoring. It is so historic that they were able to allow, say, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Luka Doncic, Donovan Mitchell or Jayson Tatum to succeed. Nikola JokicIn MVP’s shoes…

Race for MVP 2023: Our Top 5

1 – Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks)
Assessment: 9 wins, 1 loss – 1st in the East.
Matches: 9 out of a possible 10 are controversial.
Statistics: 31.8 ppg, 12.2 reb, 5.3 pds, 1.1 int, 1.4 ctr and 3.3 pdb in 33 minutes.
Percentages: 54% on field goals, 27% on 3-pointers and 65% on field goals.

2 – Luka Doncic (Mavericks)
Assessment: 6 wins, 3 losses – 5th in the West.
Matches: 9 out of a possible 9 are controversial.
Statistics: 36.0 pts, 8.4 reb, 8.3 pds, 1.9 int, 0.6 ctr and 3.6 pdb in 37 minutes.
Percentages: 52% on field goals, 30% on 3-pointers and 78% on field goals.

3 – Donovan Mitchell (Riders)
Assessment: 8 wins, 2 losses – 2nd in the East.
Matches: 9 out of a possible 10 are controversial.
Statistics: 31.2 pts, 4.1 reb, 6.0 pds, 1.3 int, 0.7 ctr and 3.4 pdb in 39 minutes.
Percentages: 51% shooting, 45% 3-pt and 86% shooting.

4 – Jayson Tatum (Celtics)
Assessment: 7 wins, 3 losses – 3rd in the East.
Matches: 10 out of a possible 10 is debatable.
Statistics: 31.2 pts, 7.5 reb, 4.0 pds, 0.8 int, 1.5 ctr and 2.7 pdb in 38 minutes.
Percentages: 50% shooting, 37% 3-pt and 88% shooting.

5 – Nikola Jokic (Nuggets)
Assessment: 7 wins, 3 losses – 4th in the West.
Matches: 10 out of a possible 10 is debatable.
Statistics: 20.9 pts, 10.5 reb, 9.3 pds, 1.4 int, 0.7 ctr and 3.6 pdb in 33 min.
Percentages: 61% shooting, 24% 3-pointers and 88% shooting.

Notes : Devin Booker (Suns), Pascal Siakam (Raptors), Ja Morant (Grizzlies), Tray Young and Dejounte Murray (Hawks), Damian Lillard (Blazers), Lauri Markkanen (Jazz), Paul George (Clippers)…