NSL Premium – Lens on the Leaders

The NSL season is taking shape as we approach the quarter mark of the regular season. Here at NSL Premium we will be taking a look at the league leaders thus far and putting the microscope to their numbers and performances. Let’s take a closer look and see which player’s numbers are not only the best but are also the most impactful. Today, we will be focusing on the most hyped statistics in the game – scoring. Running a fine-tooth comb through the top NSL’s scorers to analyse and evaluate how the best scorers do their thing.

Shooters gon’ shoot – Points Per Game

Giannis – 19 games, 33.8 pts, 59/37/74 %s, 0.8 3s 



Giannis is my pick of all the players for the scoring crown after a devastatingly good last few weeks that have seen point totals of 41 (3 times), 42, 45, 52 and a god-like 65 points. He scores more points in the paint (20.9) than 95% of the league scores in total and his domination inside leads to 9 free throw attempts per game, which ranks him no.2 in the league. His scoring is so sustainable, in my opinion, because he can always get inside and can finish at the rim or attempt to finish and head to the line. He is so gifted physically that he will always have an advantage over his opponent. 37% from three is a wonderful improvement for him from past seasons. Despite the huge minutes (I mean, what the…), his efficiency is actually increasing and that’s a scary proposition for anyone wanting to beat LAC.

LeBron – 19 games, 31.5 pts, 50/35/70 %s, 1.9 3s



LeBrons move to point guard saw his free throw attempts decrease (possibly due to being able to finish over smaller players and not have to go into contact) and his field goal increase, which is to be expected playing against guys a lot smaller. James’ best week of the season was week five where he averaged over 40 points per game on 60% shooting. His move to point guard will likely see Sacramento climb up the standings. He still takes too many jump shots for his own good and it would be more lucrative to get to the hole. He scores 15.5 points inside, his most effective zone. As a facilitator first, he likely won’t catch Giannis.

George – 17 games, 29.9 pts, 45/40/90 %s, 4.1 3s



We only have a Spurs sample for Paul George and we will have to wait until next week to get a taste of Cavs PG13. However, with the Spurs, he has been a devastating scorer from outside, accounting for 40% of his points behind the three-point line. He scores over 6 more points in wins than he does in losses and his personal output has mirrored the Spurs as a team, with the GM’s constant tinkering with the team seeing George score just 17,18 and 21 in games over the last few weeks. For a really athletic player, he averages less than one dunk per game, preferring to rely on his silky smooth jumpshot.

Leonard – 20 games, 29.8 pts, 52/41/95 %s, 2.3 3s


 

Kawhi ‘The Klaw/Fun Guy/The Board Man’ Leonard is as complete of a scorer as there is. He has a 6.8+ for the Suns, which is the highest on the team. Despite their recent form struggles, Kawhi has actually increased his efficiency and impact, registering 32.5 points per game on 55% shooting over the 2-2 week for Phoenix. He is consistent as they come, and after removing outlier games of 14 points against Golden State and 43 against the Utah Jazz and a few others, his scoring range is always around that 27-32 clip. Of all the top scorers, he gets to the line the fewest – is this the key to his perfect health thus far this season?

Westbrook – 20 games, 29.3 pts, 52/29/67 %s, 1.2 3s



The Lakers front-man is a polarising figure, and his statistics are no different. Former MVP Russ pairs incredibly high rates of finishing inside (55+% shooting for 17 points per game of his 29.3) with well-below average three point shooting (on an above average four attempts per game) and abysmal free throw shooting for a guard on a league high 10.3 attempts per game. Just increasing his FT% to 80 would see his points per game climb to close to 31. Russ is the best scorer in the league per minute, pouring in 35 points per 36. After a horrid week one which saw him shoot 38% and score 17 points per game, he has been shooting 56% since and scorching the net for 33+ points.

Harden – 20 games, 28.6 pts, 45/38/94 %s, 4.6 3s


 

Speaking of polarising, another former MVP James has a lot who love his work and a lot who hate it. He leads the league in three points attempts at 11.9 and thankfully for his team also leads the league in makes, raining in 4.6 threes each game on a 38% clip. However, diving further into it, if he would just reduce how often he takes unnecessary step-back threes, his percentages would climb into the low 40s and his team would be even stronger. He typically gets to the line more often than he has this season and that could be due to his team’s style and success thus far, meaning he hasn’t had to turn into pig-Harden and burrow his way into the key, forcing fouls, holding onto his opponents arms and ‘dirtying’ up the purity that is NSL basketball. After week two, he was the league’s leading scorer but after trades, on a personal note he is trending down, scoring just 22 points per game during week five.