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Usage rate has become the yardstick to measure a player's value to an NBA team. The usage rate of a player is the percentage of the team's entire possession that a particular player had during a game. It is calculated by 100 times the sum of field goals attempted, a third of assists, turnovers and 0.44 times free throws attempted, all divided by the possessions.
Here is the list of the top five players with the highest usage rating in the 2023-24 NBA season.
5 NBA players with the highest usage rate this season
#5, Nikola Jokic (33%)
Nikola Jokic is perhaps the only obvious player on the list with a high usage rate as he controls the entire Denver Nuggets game when he is on the floor. He is an elite scorer (although it might seem otherwise) and one of the greatest facilitators as a big man.
Jokic’s usage rate has fluctuated over the years. While in the 2021-22 season, his usage rate was 31.8%, last season it was 27.1%. This season, coach Mike Malone is relying even more on Jokic to make decisions for the Denver Nuggets.
The two-time MVP is averaging 27.4 points and 8.7 assists per game. He is shooting 57.3% from the field, however, his three-point shooting percentage has gone down from 38.3% in the last season to 29.7% this season.
Considering the impact Joker has on the Nuggets if the team goes through bad games, his usage is going to only increase.
#4, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (33%)
Last season Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was all that the Oklahoma City Thunder had going for them. He was one of the top scorers in the NBA with 31.4 points per game at 51.0% shooting. He averaged 32.5% in usage rating.
However, unlike last season when OKC went where Sahi took them, things are different for the underdogs. Since the arrival of Chet Holmgren, the story has taken a turnaround, for all the good reasons. They are ranked third in the Western Conference with a 10-4 record, ahead of elite teams like the LA Lakers, Phoenix Suns, Golden State Warriors and LA Clippers.
SAG’s usage has taken a jump this season with 33.3% and it is all because of how Chet Holmgren and SAG operate together. The team has relied more on both players to increase their production with them on the floor. Unlike last season, the team has capitalized on the star duo to win games.
As the season progresses, Shai’s usage rate has a chance to increase. With fewer minutes than last season, his usage has increased while he is averaging 29.6 points per game and a career-high 2.5 steals per game.
While Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic both are on the list with 33%, there are three more players with the same usage rate. Kevin Durant, Anthony Edwards and Kyle Kuzma, all with 33% usage, have not been included on the list as we are covering only five players.
#3, Luka Doncic (34%)
Luka Doncic had the third-highest usage rate (30.5%) as a rookie in NBA history. His usage rate getting higher by season is no surprise, however, after playing two seasons with over 37% usage rate Doncic is averaging a 34% usage rate this 2023-24 season.
Doncic’s decreasing average was inevitable after Kyrie Irving arrived in Dallas. Irving is a ball-dominant guard and shares possessions with Luka, especially late in the game.
So far into the season, Luka is averaging 30.6 points, shooting at 50.0% from the field. The Mavs star is also shooting 42.2 percent from beyond the arc while registering 8.1 assists per game.
#2, Giannis Antetonkounmpo (36%)
Last season, Giannis Antetonkounmpo’s usage rate had skyrocketed from under 35 percent to over 38 percent. He recorded his career-high usage rate of 38.4% in the 2022-23 season. The arrival of Damian Lillard is the biggest factor in Giannis’ decreased usage rate.
What is still intact about Giannis is his dominance in the NBA. In 12 games that the "Greek Freak" has played so far, he is averaging 29.3 points per game while shooting 59.6% from the field.
Defensively, he is always present and impressive. The Milwaukee Bucks star is averaging 9.9 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game.
With Lillard on the roster, Giannis will have less responsibility offensively which allows him to be more productive on the defensive end. As the season progresses and Lillard gains rhythm, Giannis’ usage rate might decrease.
#1, Joel Embiid (36%)
Joel Embiid is leading the NBA in usage rate with 36% this season. He started his 2023-24 season exactly where he had left his 2022-23 season. He is yet again playing like an MVP averaging 31.9 points for the Philadelphia 76ers. What is even more impressive is the fact that he is contributing to a winning team. He is shooting the ball extremely efficiently at 50.2% from the field.
The reigning MVP is also averaging 11.2 rebounds, a career-high 6.2 assists and 1.5 blocks per game. So far into the season, Embiid has played 10 games and in six games he has scored 30 or more points. On top of that, he also had a 48-point game against the Wizards.
As long as Embiid is on the floor, he is always the focus of the 76ers offense. Last season, he had a usage rate of 36.8, the second-highest of his career.
The 76ers are rolling high right now with players like Tyrese Maxey stepping up after James Harden's trade. If the team starts to face difficult situations in the future, Embiid’s usage rate is set to increase.
