NBA stat leaders 2022-23: Joel Embiid and Tyrese Haliburton top major categories | December 24th, 2022 

The NBA season is in full swing, and things are starting to heat up. Currently, the Boston Celtics are sitting atop the Eastern Conference with a 23-10. With the NBA's Christmas Day games right around the corner, we're doing our weekly check-in on the league's stat leaders in each of the five major categories. Without further ado, let's jump right into it.

NBA Scoring Leader: Joel Embiid (33.0 ppg)

Joel Embiid (Los Angeles Lakers v Philadelphia 76ers)

For the second week in a row, Joel Embiid sits atop our weekly list of scoring leaders. Although his production is down .3 compared to last week, the Philadelphia 76ers superstar closed out the week strong with a massive 44-point performance. His effort was enough to carry the team past the LA Clippers 119-114 on the 23rd and to keep him ahead of Luka Doncic, averaging 32.8.

With the race for the scoring title being incredibly close between the two, it will be interesting to see what this next week brings for the two lethal scorers.

NBA Assist Leader: Tyrese Haliburton (10.5 apg)

Tyrese Haliburton (Indiana Pacers v Sacramento Kings)

Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton continues to lead the league in assists per game. Last week, Haliburton averaged 10.8 assists per game, so his numbers dropped by .3 over the previous week. Despite that, he remains firmly in first place ahead of Trae Young, who is averaging 9.9 assists per game.

Haliburton is leading the Indiana Pacers on an impressive run that sees them sitting tied for seventh in the East. With career-high numbers across the board, Haliburton is thriving in Indiana.

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NBA Rebounding Leader: Domantas Sabonis (12.5 rpg)

Domantas Sabonis: (Sacramento Kings v Philadelphia 76ers)

Domantas Sabonis and the Sacramento Kings continue to silence the doubters. This past week, the Lithuanian big man overtook Rudy Gobert as the league's rebounding leader after a string of spectacular performances. On December 19th, Sabonis hauled down a whopping 23 rebounds in the team's home loss to the Charlotte Hornets.

Two nights later, the team bounced back with a win over the LA Lakers, where he hauled down another 21 boards. With his recent surge, he now sits .2 rebounds ahead of Rudy Gobert in second place.

NBA steals Leader: OG Anunoby (2.3 spg)

Toronto Raptors v Houston Rockets

O.G. Anunoby once again remains atop the NBA regarding steals per game. The Toronto Raptors have been struggling to fight their way into the top eight of the Eastern Conference as of late. Despite Anunoby missing four games from December 11th through the 18th, he has remained on the steals list.

Sitting just behind him, however, is De'Anthony Melton, who has just .2 fewer steals per game than Anunoby. If the Raptors star winds up being forced to sit many more games, his status as the steals leader could be in jeopardy.

NBA Blocks Leader: Brook Lopez (2.6 bpg)

Brook Lopez (Milwaukee Bucks v Brooklyn Nets)

Milwaukee Bucks center Brook Lopez is leading the NBA in blocks with 2.6 blocks per game. Although his numbers dropped slightly from last week, Lopez is still sitting .3 blocks ahead of Nic Claxton, who is in second place after a solid week.

In back-to-back losses, he posted below-average block numbers as the team slipped back to second place in the Eastern Conference. Ahead of a highly anticipated clash with the Milwaukee Bucks on Christmas, Lopez and the team will be looking to cement their place in the standings.

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