Predicting stat leaders in 6 major categories - 2020-21 NBA season
Midway through the 2020-21 NBA season, several superstars have dominated the league this campaign.
Whether it's a deep three by Stephen Curry, a buzzer-beater by Damian Lillard or a thunderous dunk by LeBron James, the 2020-21 NBA has seen it all. Some of these stars are leading the league in several statistical categories, from grabbing boards and dishing out dimes to swiping players and denying shots.
The NBA announces the leader of each stat category at the end of the season. We will take a look at six key statistical categories and predict a winner based on current averages and overall tallies. On that note, let's predict the stats leaders in six major categories this season.
#6 2020-21 NBA Blocks leader - Myles Turner (Indiana Pacers)
Current top 5 leaders in Blocked Shots:
(#1) Myles Turner, (#2) Rudy Gobert, (#3) Clint Capela, (#4) Chris Boucher, (#5) Nerlens Noel.
Myles Turner has made it his mission to win the 2020-21 NBA Defensive Player of the Year this season. He is averaging a whopping 3.4 blocks per game, a personal best, which is, of course, better than what he managed in 2019 (2.7 a game).
The second-highest shot blocker in the NBA this season is Rudy Gobert, who is doing it at 2.7 swats per night.
Turner has tallied 111 blocks in 33 games, while Gobert is at 98 in 36. Turner is miles ahead in the season leaderboard and is most certainly a lock to emerge as the blocks leader unless he runs out of steam in the second half of the 2020-21 NBA season.
#5 2020-21 NBA Steals leader - TJ Mcconnell (Indiana Pacers)
Current top-5 leaders in Steals:
(#1) TJ McConnell, (#2) Nikola Jokic, (#3) Fred VanVleet, (#4) LaMelo Ball, (#5) Robert Covington.
Just like in the blocks leaderboard in the 2020-21 NBA, another Indiana Pacers player, TJ McConnell, has a significant lead over the second-highest player. He is averaging two swipes per contest, which is better than that of Jrue Holiday (1.8).
How phenomenal McConnell has been this season while stealing the ball can be gauged from the fact that he averaged just 0.8 steals last season. Moreover, his 63 swipes in the 2020-21 NBA is five better than that of Nikola Jokic, who is only averaging 1.6 steals per game; Holiday has tallied 47 in 23 games this season.
Interestingly, in the steals leaderboard this season, TJ McConnell is the only one who makes an appearance after coming off the bench.
#4 2020-21 NBA Rebounding leader - Clint Capela (Atlanta Hawks)
Current top-5 leaders in Rebounds:
(#1) Rudy Gobert, (#2) Cint Capela, (#3) Enes Kanter, (#4) Giannis Antetokounmpo, (#5) Joel Embiid.
Although Rudy Gobert leads the 2020-21 NBA in total rebounds, Clint Capela isn't too far behind and also boasts a higher average.
Capela is averaging an incredible 14.2 rebounds per match, while Gobert is at 13.1 this campaign. Rudy Gobert has also played three more games than Capela. If Capela plays those three games and continues his rebounding average, he'd be ahead of Gobert in total boards for the season.
Capela has been cleaning up the glass quite amazingly this campaign; he is at a career-high and is also 1.1 boards better than that of Gobert. He has been particularly great on the offensive glass, as he is leading the 2020-21 NBA in offensive boards with 159 compared to no. 2 Enes Kanter's tally of 146.
#3 2020-21 NBA assists leader - James Harden (Brooklyn Nets)
Current top-5 leaders in assists:
(#1) James Harden, (#2) Trae Young, (#3) Nikola Jokic, (#4) Chris Paul, (#5) Luka Doncic.
James Harden has shown a new side of himself this season. Many analysts would agree that he isn't the player he was at the Houston Rockets. Harden has embraced the role of the point guard in the star-studded Nets team and is leading the 2020-21 NBA in assists while putting on a show in playmaking.
He is averaging a career-high 11.4 assists a game, while Trae Young is in second place with 9.4. Harden (345) has a significant lead over the rest of the pack, as he leads the league in total assists, which is 24 better than that of Trae Young.
#2 2020-21 NBA three-pointers leader - Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors)
Current top-5 leaders in three-pointers made:
(#1) Stephen Curry, (#2) Damian Lillard, (#3) Buddy Heild, (#4) Joe Harris, (#5) Zach LaVine.
There is no point doubting or debating who is going to win the 3-points title in the 2020-21 NBA.
Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors, arguably the greatest shooter the league has ever seen, has been tearing up from the three-point line this campaign. He is averaging numbers similar to his 2015-16 MVP season and is way ahead of his competition in the category.
Curry is putting on a shooting clinic in the 2020-21 NBA season; he recently won his second three-point contest in the 2021 NBA All-Star event and is leading the league in offensive real plus/minus.
He is at 169 threes so far this season in 35 games, leading the second-placed Damian Lillard (146) by 23. Curry is averaging 4.8 threes a game this season while shooting at a 41.1% clip.
#1 2020-21 NBA Scoring leader - Bradley Beal (Washington Wizards)
Current top-5 leaders in Points:
(#1) Bradley Beal, (#2) Stephen Curry, (#3) Giannis Antetokounmpo, (#4) Damian Lillard, (#5) Nikola Jokic.
Bradley Beal might finally win his first-ever NBA scoring title this season. He is averaging an astonishing 32.5 points per game this season, doing so on a 52.4% true shooting percentage.
He is getting buckets in all sorts of ways on the floor and is certainly the most valuable player on the Washington Wizards roster. Beal is leading the 2020-21 NBA scoring leaderboard despite averaging a career-low in 3P%.
However, he faces competition from Stephen Curry for the season's scoring title. The first player to cross the 1000-point mark this season, Curry (1039) is only 35 behind Beal (1074). One lights-out shooting night from Curry could see him take the lead, but Beal could have other ideas.
Also Read: 5 bold predictions for the Western Conference heading into the second half of 2020-21 NBA season.