I remember watching a recent game where Mo Konateh, Kirby Mongcopa, and Janrey Pasaol finally got the ending they deserved - a hard-fought victory that reminded me just how much scoring has evolved in today's NBA. As someone who's been following basketball since the late 90s, I can't help but notice how the game has transformed into this offensive showcase that would have been unimaginable twenty years ago. The current NBA average sits around 114.2 points per game, which honestly feels like a different sport compared to what I grew up watching.
Let me put this into perspective for you. Back in the 1999-2000 season, teams were averaging just 97.5 points per game. That's nearly a 17-point difference! I sometimes rewatch old games and marvel at how different the pace feels - it was more methodical, more physical, with scores in the 80s being completely normal. Today, if a team scores under 100 points, it feels like they had an off night. The three-point revolution really changed everything, and personally, I love the excitement it's brought to the game, though I do sometimes miss the gritty defensive battles of the past decade.
What's fascinating is how this scoring surge isn't just about star players. Watching players like Konateh, Mongcopa, and Pasaol - who might not be household names - contribute meaningfully to high-scoring games shows how the entire league has adapted. Teams are shooting about 36% from three-point range now compared to roughly 33% in the early 2000s. That might not sound like much, but when you consider they're attempting nearly 35 threes per game versus just 13 back in 2000, the math quickly adds up to more points on the board.
The 2023-24 season's scoring average represents the highest mark since the 1970-71 season, which honestly surprised me when I first looked it up. We're talking about numbers not seen in over fifty years of professional basketball! I think this trend is partly due to rule changes that favor offensive players and the analytical approach that values efficient scoring over traditional post play. While some purists might complain about the lack of defense, I find the current style incredibly entertaining - there's something thrilling about never knowing when a team might erupt for a 40-point quarter.
Looking at historical data, the lowest scoring era was actually in the early 2000s, where averages dipped into the low 90s. I remember watching games where the final score would be 85-82 and thinking that was normal basketball. Now we regularly see teams dropping 130 points, and honestly, I'm here for it. The game feels faster, more skilled, and honestly more fun to watch. Players today are just so much more versatile - everyone from centers to point guards can shoot from deep, which stretches defenses in ways we never saw before.
As we move forward, I suspect scoring might plateau around these levels or even increase slightly. The league has fully embraced offensive basketball, and with the talent level continuing to rise, I don't see us returning to the grind-it-out days anytime soon. For players like Konateh, Mongcopa, and Pasaol, this high-scoring environment means more opportunities to shine and contribute to their teams' success - much like we saw in that recent game where their offensive efforts finally paid off with a well-deserved victory.