The NBA has improved with technology and players are more efficient than ever.
There are a lot of great players in the league who can hit the ball better than ever.
Thanks to analytics, NBA teams are attempting more 3-point shots than ever before.
In 2022-23, NBA teams shot an average of 34.3 3-point attempts per game, the third-highest rate in NBA history. He finished first in 3-point attempts (35.2) during the 2021-22 season, and entered the 2020-21 season at No. 2 on the list (34.6).
As a result, the NBA is seeing teams put up some historic numbers in three major statistical categories.
This season, teams posted the best offensive rating, free throw percentage and effective field goal percentage in NBA history.
NBA teams are posting their best offensive rating ever.
NBA teams posted the best offensive rating in league history this season at 113.3, a full point better than the next top campaign (2020-21).
It’s no secret that analytics have improved efficiency over the past few seasons, but teams seem to be moving faster on offense than on the defensive side of the floor.
In fact, the top seven offensive ratings in NBA history all come from the 2016-17 season or later.
In 2022-23, four NBA teams have an offensive rating above 116.0.
Only five teams have an offensive rating below 110.0.
Two of those five teams are the Miami Heat and the Los Angeles Clippers.
The Clippers have missed Kawhi Leonard and Paul George for several games this season.
Miami is the best offensive team they have played this season.
Both teams will improve offensively, which will increase their offensive rating and league average offensive rating.
This trend continues for NBA teams to post impressive offensive ratings.
His current free throw percentage marks the highest in NBA history
With teams relying more on good shooters and analytics helping to develop better shooters, the NBA has seen its highest free throw percentage in history this season.
15 players are now shooting 90 percent or better from the free throw line.
40 NBA players are shooting 85 percent or better from the line.
This is another trend that has changed dramatically in recent years.
The 2020-21 NBA season was the second-highest and the 2021-22 season was the third-highest free throw percentage in NBA history.
Although free throw percentage is at an all-time high, free throw attempts per game have been declining in recent seasons.
NBA teams averaged 23.5 free-throw attempts during the 2022-23 season, the 11th-lowest in league history. The 2020-21 season is the second-fewest free throw attempts per game and the 2021-22 season is the third-fewest free throw attempts per game in history.
The number of free throw attempts seems to be inversely related to the number of 3-point shots taken by NBA teams.
While efficiency at the line is at an all-time high, teams are shooting more threes, which has reduced free throw attempts per game.
This season he ranks third in NBA history in three-point attempts per game. The first is the 2021-22 season and the second is the 2020-21 season.
Despite a record-high free throw percentage, free throw attempts per game are hitting new lows.
Effective field goal percentage marks best ever.
Another offensive stat that has improved this season is effective field goal percentage.
In 2022-23, NBA teams are posting the best effective field goal percentage in NBA history at 54 percent.
This is another trend that has been on the rise in recent years. In fact, the top three marks were all posted in the last three NBA seasons.
The 2020-21 season saw the second-best effective field goal percentage and the 2021-22 season saw the third-best.
With a recent increase in 3-point attempts and improved efficiency at the charity stripe, the league’s average effective field goal percentage has risen in six of the last seven seasons.
This year, 10 teams have an effective field goal percentage of 55.0 or higher.
And the trend doesn’t seem to be stopping anytime soon.
Look for the league’s effective field goal percentage to increase next season until opposing defenses find a way to defend the 3 ball at a higher rate.