It was on a fireworks display of 15 games that the 77th regular season in history ended. Intense, like every year, it was full of records and statistical exploits of all kinds.
Here are some of the highlights, including the leaders of each individual category, as well as some interesting anecdotes.
Statistical Leaders
— Joel Embiid (33.1 points) and Jayson Tatum (2,225 points) finish leaders in scoring, average and total.
— Domantas Sabonis (12.3 rebounds and 973 rebounds) finished first in rebounds, average and total.
— James Harden (10.7 assists) and Trae Young (741 assists) finished leaders in assists, average and total.
— OG Anunoby (1.9 steals and 128 steals) finished first in steals, average and total.
— Jaren Jackson Jr. (3.0 blocks) and Brook Lopez (193 blocks) finished leaders in blocks, average and total.
— Pascal Siakam (37.4) and Mikal Bridges (2,963 minutes) finish leaders in playing time, average and total.
— Trae Young (4.1 ball losses and 300 ball losses) finished leader in lost balls, average and total.
— Nic Claxton (70.5% at shoot), Luke Kennard (49.4% from 3-pointers) and Tyler Herro (93.4% in free throws) finish leaders in success percentages.
— Joel Embiid (728 baskets), Klay Thompson (301 3-pointers) and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (669 free throws) finish leaders in the number of baskets.
Anecdotes
— Joel Embiid (33.1 points) and James Harden (10.7 assists) form the 5th pair of teammates in history to finish both as the league’s top scorer and top passer. They imitate Paul Arizin and Andy Phillip (1952), Wilt Chamberlain and Guy Rodgers (1963), Bob McAdoo and Ernie DiGregorio (1974), as well as George Gervin and Johnny Moore (1982).
— Joel Embiid is the 19th player in history (7th pivot) to be the league’s leading scorer on several occasions and he is the 13th player in history (6th pivot) to be the league’s leading scorer two years in a row.
— Joel Embiid (33.1 points), Luka Doncic (32.4), Damian Lillard (32.2), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (31.4), Giannis Antetokounmpo (31.1) and Jayson Tatum (30.1) tie the record for most players (six) to average 30+ points in a season.
— James Harden is the 13th player in history to be the league’s leading passer multiple times.
— Jaren Jackson Jr. is the 12th player in history to be the league’s top blocker two years in a row.
— Nikola Jokic (29) and Domantas Sabonis (65) finish leaders in the number of triple-doubles and double-doubles.
— Mikal Bridges (83) became the 42nd player in history to play more than 82 games in a season: 56 with Phoenix, then 27 with Brooklyn. Unheard of since Josh Smith in 2014/15 (83), while the record still belongs to Walt Bellamy: 88, in 1968/69.
— They are 12 to have missed no match this season: Mikal Bridges (83), Jordan Poole (82), Nikola Vucevic (82), Kevon Looney (82), Derrick White (82), Harrison Barnes (82), Malik Beasley (81), patrick williams (82), mason plumlee (79), Kenyon Martin Jr. (82), Isaiah Hartenstein (82) and Tari Eason (82). Note that Bridges, Beasley and Plumlee are not at 82 because they were traded during the season. Nevertheless, they didn’t miss anything either.
— The series continues for Buddy Hield, who still failed to qualify for the playoffs after 548 games. It is the longest running streak, ahead of Lauri Markkanen (348), and only five players have done worse in history, including record holder Tom Van Arsdale (929).
— The playoffs continue for James Harden And Danny Green, who have qualified for the playoffs for the past 14 seasons. These are the longest current series, ahead of Chris Paul (13) and Andre Iguodala (13), but it will still take a lot of work to get the record of Karl Malone (19) and Tim Duncan (19).
— Klay Thompson (301) became the 3rd player in history to total 300+ 3-pointers in a season. He imitates Stephen Curry (2016, 2017, 2019, 2021) and James Harden (2019). The record belongs to Curry: 402, in 2015/16.
– THE bucks (58-24) have the best record in the league, but it’s the first time since the 2000/01 season that neither side has reached the 60 win mark. Conversely, the Pistons (17-65) have the worst record in the league.
– THE Celtics are in 9 consecutive qualifications for the playoffs and this is the longest current series, ahead of the Bucks (7) and the Sixers (6).
– THE Clippers have completed a 12th consecutive season with a positive record and it is the longest current series, ahead of the Celtics (8) and the Bucks (7).
– THE Lakers version 2023 are only the 6th team in history to finish with a positive record, despite a total of 10 losses (or more) in their first 12 games. They mimic the 1977 Bulls, 1978 Sonics, 1982 Nets, 2005 Bulls, and 2005 Nets.
— The three Texas franchises (dallas, Houston And San Antonio) will not play in the playoffs and this is a great first since the appearance of the Mavericks in 1980/81.
— The four California franchises (Golden State, Sacramento, Los Angeles x2) can all still hope to make the playoffs and, if the Lakers clear the play-in hurdle, it would be the first since the Kings moved in 1985/86.
— The five franchises of the same division, the Pacific division (Golden State, Sacramento, Los Angeles x2, phoenix), have all finished with positive results and this is only the 4th time that this has happened since 2004, the year of the transition to six divisions.
