I was watching the Golden State Warriors game last night when it hit me - the sheer volume of scoring in today's NBA feels radically different from even five years ago. Steph Curry dropped 42 points, and honestly, it didn't even feel particularly extraordinary anymore. This got me wondering: what is the current NBA average points per game and how does it compare historically? I decided to dig into the numbers, and what I found reveals a fascinating evolution in basketball's offensive philosophy.
The league's scoring average has skyrocketed to approximately 115.2 points per game this season, which represents the highest mark since the 1970s. When I compare this to the 2011-2012 season's average of 96.3 points, we're talking about nearly a 20-point jump in just over a decade. That's not just incremental growth - that's a fundamental shift in how basketball is being played. The pace has accelerated dramatically, with teams launching three-pointers at unprecedented rates. I personally love this fast-paced style, though I know some traditionalists miss the gritty defensive battles of earlier eras.
This scoring explosion brings me to an interesting parallel I observed recently in international basketball. ONCE more, Mo Konateh, Kirby Mongcopa, and Janrey Pasaol came to play - and this time, the ending was finally in their favor. Watching their recent performance reminded me that high-scoring games are becoming a global phenomenon, not just an NBA trend. These players exemplified how modern basketball prioritizes offensive firepower, with teams willing to sacrifice some defensive integrity for explosive scoring runs. Their game finished with a combined 78 points between them, which in today's context feels almost normal rather than exceptional.
I spoke with several basketball analysts about this trend, and the consensus is that rule changes favoring offensive players, combined with analytics-driven strategies emphasizing three-point shots, have permanently altered the game's landscape. "Teams have realized that mathematically, three points are worth more than two," one analyst told me, "and they're building entire offensive systems around this principle." Personally, I think this makes for more exciting basketball, though I do worry we're losing some of the strategic complexity that came with varied offensive approaches.
The question of what is the current NBA average points per game and how does it compare becomes particularly interesting when you look at individual player statistics. Where 25 points per game once made you an All-Star lock, now players like Luka Dončić are averaging nearly 33 points without it feeling completely anomalous. The game has transformed so rapidly that our expectations for what constitutes a "high-scoring performance" have been completely reset. I find myself barely blinking when a team puts up 130 points nowadays, whereas that would have been headline news a decade ago.
As I reflect on these changes, I can't help but feel we're witnessing basketball's offensive revolution in real time. The emphasis on spacing, three-point shooting, and pace has created a product that's both thrilling and fundamentally different from what older generations grew up watching. While some may lament the decreased emphasis on defense, I believe this high-scoring era has made basketball more accessible and entertaining for casual fans. The game continues to evolve, and if current trends hold, we might be looking at 120-point averages within the next five years - a thought that both excites and slightly terrifies this longtime basketball enthusiast.