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Earlier in the week, I wrote an article that detailed five NBA players who had surprisingly bad +/- ratings on the NBA season. This article is going to take a look at five surprising NBA players who are near the top of the league in the +/- category, meaning when they're on the floor, the team almost always increases their lead over their opponents.
Also read: Top 10 Rebounding Leaders in NBA History
The +/- phenomenon is new to the NBA but is a staple of statistics for the NHL. In the NHL, players on the ice when their team scores a shorthanded or even-strength goal would earn a +1 while those who gave up the goal would earn a -1. It works pretty much the same way in the NBA.
The stat works similarly in the NBA where if you're on the court for a made basket, the stat would increase by +2 or +3 and vice versa.
It is no surprise that there are superstars at the top of the +/- list through games played on Friday, December 1st. Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors leads the league with an average of +11.7, Eric Gordon of the Houston Rockets is second with a +10.8, and three more of his Rocket teammates make up ranks three through five in Chris Paul, James Harden, and Trevor Ariza.
Continue on to see which players have surprisingly great +/- stats as of Friday, December 1st. The only qualifier I have put on this list is that they have had to play in at least 15 games on the season.
Stat source: NBA.com
#5 Langston Galloway - Detroit Pistons (+4.1, ranked #38)
The Detroit Pistons are on a major resurgence this season after a 14-7 start, which currently sees them in fourth place in the Eastern Conference.
Someone that may not be a household name though, is back-up shooting guard Langston Galloway; who came to Detroit this year from Sacramento.
While he's only playing 14.1 minutes per game on average, his +4.1 is ranked near the likes of Damian Lillard, Bradley Beal and even ahead of Russell Westbrook (+4.0). This is the first example of a few on this list, where solid play from the bench is resulting in a great record.
#4 Luc Mbah a Moute - Houston Rockets (+6.9, ranked #10)
The top of the +/- ratings are completely filled with Houston Rockets, but to see someone who is not in the starting lineup be ranked in the top ten is pretty surprising. Especially someone like power forward Luc Mbah a Moute - who has never averaged more than ten points or six rebounds for an entire season in his career.
Currently on the season Mbah a Moute is averaging 7.9 points per game, 3.5 rebounds and 0.5 blocks while his average of 26.5 minutes per game are on pace for the most he's played during his 10-year career to date.
Part of the reason why Houston is a Western Conference-best 17-4 on the season is the fact that the second unit is not giving up leads or cutting the deficit down if they are trailing.
#3 Fred VanVleet - Toronto Raptors (+6.2, ranked #15)
The second-year guard for the Toronto Raptors, Fred VanVleet may be third on the depth chart for point guards on the team, but when he is on the court for nearly 20 minutes per game, the team excels.
VanVleet is averaging 6 points per game, three assists and 1.7 rebounds per game, but his +6.2 +/- rating puts him in the league's top 15 for players with at least 15 matches played this season thus far. The Wichita State standout made a name for himself during March Madness and now he's quietly helping the Raptors to a 14-6 record, good for third in the Eastern Conference.
#2 Devin Harris - Dallas Mavericks (+6.7, ranked #13)
In the article for the surprisingly bad +/- ratings, most of the players were stars, but on poorly performing teams this year. Dallas Maverick point guard Devin Harris is on the third-worst team in the league with a 6-17 record, but when he's on the floor, the team performs well.
Through 17 games this year, Harris is averaging a +6.7. While the numbers may not be flashy (8.6 points per game, 1.8 assists and 2.3 rebounds), Harris clearly uses his experience in his 14th season to help those around him score and either cut into or extend leads.
#1 Marcus Smart - Boston Celtics (+8.2, ranked #7)
Boston Celtic guard Marcus Smart is currently in his fourth season in the NBA, and while always a solid player, he has never filled up the stats sheet in his career to date.
This season, he's averaging 9.6 points per game, 5.3 assists and 4.2 rebounds - those are numbers which are not too far off his career statistics.
However, when Smart is on the court this season, Boston manage to extend their leads against sturdy opposition. With an average +/- of 8.2 on the season, only six other players who have played 15 games or more have a better average, including teammate Al Horford.
Clearly, it has translated to success as Boston has a league-best record of 20-4 on the year and continue to impress.
Guess the Lakers players!
