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The 2020-21 NBA season saw Stephen Curry emerge as scoring champion (32.0 ppg). Russell Westbrook once again averaged a triple-double for the entire NBA season, the fourth time he has achieved this feat in five years. Rudy Gobert led the league in total rebounds, while Clint Capela averaged the most rebounds per game (14.3). Joe Harris finished as the most efficient three-point shooter, splashing his triples at a ridiculous efficiency of 47.5%.
Along with these league leaders, there were other players who, while not topping any one particular category, ended up doing something incredibly difficult statistically, leading them to be clubbed in a group of their own. One such group was the list of players who averaged more than 25.0 ppg while shooting more than 55% from the field for the 2020-21 season.
While this may not appear to be a very difficult benchmark, the truth is that it is. Since LeBron James averaged 27.1 ppg while shooting 56.7% from the field in 2013-14, only three players have hit this statistical parameter in the last seven NBA seasons. And only one of those three players has done it in more than one season since 2013-14, while the other two players hit this benchmark only in 2020-21.
So without further ado, here are the three elite names from 2020-21, who scored more than 25.0 ppg with a shooting efficiency of more than 55% from the field.
#1 Giannis Antetokounmpo (28.1 ppg, FG 56.9%)
What an incredible few years it has been for Giannis Antetokounmpo. From back-to-back league MVP titles in 2019 and 2020, to Defensive Player of the year in 2020, to an NBA Championship and Finals MVP in 2021, the Greek Freak has nearly done it all in the past three NBA seasons.
In addition to all the above awards, Giannis headlines this elite category of players. Since James hit this statistical standard in 2013-14, Giannis has averaged more than 25.0 ppg and shot more than 55% on three occasions. All three of those occasions have come in the last three NBA seasons.
In 2018-19, Giannis averaged 27.7 ppg, shooting 57.8% from the field. In 2019-20, he hit a career-best 29.5 ppg while shooting 55.3%. And then last season he went for 28.1 ppg and 56.9% from the field.
Interestingly, Giannis’ 2019-20 season when he averaged 29.5 ppg, is the eighth best showing by a player who shot more than 55% from the field in the last 42 NBA seasons (since the inception of the three-point line). Giannis is also one of only four players to hit the aforementioned stat benchmark in three or more seasons.
The other three names are Shaquille O’Neal, who did so in a record 10 NBA seasons; Adrian Dantley, the Utah forward who recorded the feat six times; and Charles Barkley, who achieved this stat milestone in four NBA seasons.
#2 Zion Williamson (27.0 ppg, FG 61.1%)
The future is very bright for Zion Williamson. We always knew he was going to be great, but to achieve what he did in the recently concluded season was simply phenomenal. Williamson went from averaging 22.5 ppg in just 24 games in his rookie year to 27.0 ppg over 61 games in his second NBA season.
What is even more special about Williamson’s performance in 2020-21 is that if we go purely by shooting efficiency, he tops the list of 38 players who have hit more than 25.0 ppg in a single NBA season since 1979-80. His field-goal shooting percentage of 61.1% betters legendary Boston power forward Kevin McHale’s 60.4% (26.1 ppg) from the 1986-87 NBA season.
Williamson is a special kid and we are going to see him achieve this distinction many more times before his playing career comes to an end.
#3 Nikola Jokic (26.4 ppg, FG 56.6%)
It goes without saying Nikola Jokic had a great 2020-21 season. He won the MVP award. His 26.4 ppg was his career-best season performance by a fair distance. His next best scoring performance was the 20.1 ppg he averaged in 2018-19. Also, Jokic has done better than 55% from the field only once prior to 2020-21. He shot a career-best 57.8% from the field in 2016-17, in his second NBA season.
The interesting thing about Jokic’s performance is that on this special list of players, who average more than 25 ppg and shoot 55% or better from the field, Jokic is the only player to tally more than eight assists. What this means is that no NBA player, since the inception of the three-point line, has hit eight assists while scoring at a high volume (25.0 ppg) and with great efficiency (more than FG 55%) until the Joker came along.
Also read: 3 things Nikola Jokic needs to do to win MVP in 2021-22
