Cavs Insider

Scoring In The NBA Is Up, So What's Causing All This?

Donovan Mitchell's 71-point night illustrates scoring boom in NBA

Jon Rudder

Scoring In The NBA Is Up, So What's Causing All This?
Scoring In The NBA Is Up, So What's Causing All This? /
In this story:

Donovan Mitchell’s historic 71-point night against the Chicago Bulls on Monday night underscored one important thing about the NBA this season.

“Seventy-one is a hell of a number. And guys are pushing that,” said Cavaliers head coach J.B. Bickerstaff.

Scoring is up. On a nightly basis, fans are treated to 50-point nights.

But what’s really behind the scoring surge that the league is experiencing at an unprecedented level this season?

“The league is in a wonderful place as far as talent. It literally seems like every night you’re seeing somebody do something spectacular,” Bickerstaff said. “That’s the talent level of this generation of player.

Offense is at a level unseen since the 1969-70 season. On Mitchell’s prolific night alone, across the floor DeMar DeRozan was putting up 44 points.

LeBron James, formerly of this parish, dripped 43 points against the Hornets while Joel Embiid was flatlining the Pelicans with a 42-point night of his own.

Not to be outdone, Golden State’s Klay Thompson erupted for 54 points in a double-overtime win over the Atlanta Hawks.

“There are tempo things and pacing things that you can talk about. There are spacing things,” Bickerstaff said. “Defensive rule changes, those types of things that have started to show their effect."

There have already been six games of at least 55 points, which is an NBA record for a single season. There have been 14 performances of at least 50 points this season, which matches the total from all of 2020-21

It begs the question, is Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point performance in 1962 against the New York Knicks safe?

What about Kobe Bryant’s 81-point obliteration of the Toronto Raptors in 2006?

“Not in this building, by an opponent I should say,” Bickerstaff said with a laugh ahead of his team’s matchup on Wednesday night against the Phoenix Suns.

Joking aside, it’s not out of the realm of possibilities to conceive someone taking a run at Chamberlain or Bryant’s historic performances. With the pace that NBA teams play at, the number of three-pointers shot on a given night and the number of possessions they generate, we could be treated to more engorged scoring totals this season

Despite the scoring surge, Bickerstaff and the Cavaliers remain at the top of the NBA when it comes to defense. Cleveland LEADS THE NBA in defensive rating (108.9) and is also allowing the fewest PPG in the NBA this season (106.9 PPG).

It’s easy to look at numbers when evaluating performance on a given night, but Bickerstaff said it’s also more about the eye test.

“It’s whether we dictated what we’re willing to live with on the defensive end of the floor. We’ve got certain areas that we’re trying to win,” Bickerstaff said. “We talk about the shot profile that we’re willing to live with. You can’t control how many threes teams shoot; they don’t care anymore. What do those three’s look like?”

Part of that explosive scoring recipe is the simple fact that players are far more athletic than they were in the past. Bickerstaff said it’s something that he has talked about with his coaching staff and attributes to talent being developed and cultivated at a younger age.

“At a younger age. Guys are specializing but also specializing with individual coaches at a young age. There’s a business and a market for seven-year-olds, eight-year-olds,” Bickerstaff said. “I think what you’re seeing is the skill level of guys is increasing, then you get the top of that group and that’s what you’re seeing take place here.”

But what took place on Monday evening left many people in awe, Bickerstaff himself included.

“The teams that play with more pace, you never know about overtime games,” he said. “I could see the 82, if we see 100, I’d be amazed obviously.”

--------

You may also like:

Could Kevin Love Finish His Career With The Cavs?

"I Don't Know How Many Guys In Our League Can Do What He Did Tonight:" J.B. Bickerstaff On The Cavs Win

"The Best Performance I've Ever Seen:" Kevin Love Reacts To Donovan Mitchell's 71-Point Performance

Donovan Mitchell Is The Only Player In NBA History To Do This

WATCH: Donovan Mitchell Forces Overtime With Unreal Play

Kevin Love Reaches Cavalier Milestone Against The Bulls

J.B. Bickerstaff Gives Injury Update On Ricky Rubio

-----

SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube channel for more coverage of the Cavaliers!

Follow our comprehensive Cavs coverage through Sports Illustrated's FanNation network here:

Website: www.cavsinsider.com

Twitter: @CavsInsider_FN

Published
Jon Rudder
JON RUDDER

Home/News