Charlotte Hornets

NBA: 10 Noteworthy Stats Through The First Quarter Of The Season

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 2:47 p.m. ET

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Dec 4, 2016; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) shoots the ball over New Orleans Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday (11) during the fourth quarter at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

Looking at the 10 most important stats from the first quarter of the 2016-17 NBA season

Roughly a quarter of the way through, the 2016-17 NBA season is zipping by.

And maybe you missed a couple games, or all of November. Busy month? Still under your covers, suffering from post-election depression? Perhaps you’re still stuck in a turkey-induced coma or trying to beat the rush to get your Christmas shopping done early?

Either way, we have you covered.

The first month or so of the season can be summed up by 10 statistics. We look at them all here.

(Note: All stats final as of 12/4/16)

Dec 3, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11) high fives forward Kevin Durant (35) after Thompson

The Golden State Warriors Offense

Stat: 115 Offensive Rating 

This seems like a good place to start.

The Golden State Warriors offense has been rolling after a sluggish first couple quarters. Golden State is averaging about 115 points per 100 possessions.

If they continues that pace, ESPN’s Sharon Katz says they’ll crush the 2009-2010 Phoenix Suns for 112.7 points per 100 possessions, the highest total since the NBA began recording turnovers in 1973.

And with Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, Stephen Curry and Draymond Green in the lineup on a nightly basis, there’s nothing to suggest that they’ll slow down anytime soon.

Dec 3, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) celebrates after a three point basket against the Phoenix Suns during the third quarter at Oracle Arena. The Golden State Warriors defeated the Phoenix Suns 138-109. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Stephen Curry is eighth in the NBA in scoring

Stat: Curry – 27 PPG

This isn’t a knock on the reigning NBA MVP as his numbers are comparable to his historic last two seasons.

But it does indicate that other players have made great leaps. DeMarcus Cousins is third in points with Demar DeRozan and Damian Lillard at five and six. Two names you’d expect to see, James Harden and Kevin Durant, are in the top seven.

Then, there is Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook, putting up numbers that would net them MVPs 90 percent of the time.

Dec 4, 2016; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks forward Kristaps Porzingis (6) shoots a free throw during the fourth quarter against the Sacramento Kings at Madison Square Garden. New York Knicks won 106-98. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

Nine teams separated by 3.5 games in the East

Stat: 3.5 games separates the 7th from the 1st seed 

The right to lose, eh, face LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference playoffs is tight.

Why is this noteworthy? Well, in the past, the East was marred by mediocrity. But this year there are 11 pretty good squads. There’s the very good Toronto Raptors and then the echelon of the conference, the Cavaliers.

Expect the race to remain tight until the finish. Doesn’t really matter, though, because we all know what the final outcome will be.

Nov 25, 2016; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves forward Andrew Wiggins (22) and center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) against the Phoenix Suns at Talking Stick Resort Arena. The Timberwolves defeated the Suns 98-85. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Nine under 23 averaging 15-plus

Nine players under the age of 23 are averaging more than 15 points per game. And that total was up to 15 two weeks ago.

For fun, let’s name them. The NBA’s leading-scorer Anthony Davis, Andrew Wiggins, Karl-Anthony Towns, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bradley Beal, Kristaps Porzingis, Zach LaVine, Devin Booker and Jabari Parker.

Maybe more impressive, the first seven names on that list are in the top 30. So nearly one-third of the top 30 scorers in the league are 23 or younger.

Talk about a youth movement.

Dec 2, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) dunks against the Orlando Magic during the second half at Wells Fargo Center. The Orlando Magic won 104-88. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Joel Embid’s stats per 36 minutes played

Stat: Embiid (Per 36) – 29 PPG, 12 REB, 3.5 BLK

Joel Embid is the NBA’s darling. So good, that the Philadelphia 76ers are actually buzz worthy.

But look deeper into the numbers and you’ll realize that if anything, Embid is actually undervalued. If the shoe-in for Rookie of the Year were to play superstar minutes – or to be more precise 36 per game – he’d be averaging 29 points, 12 rebounds and 3.5 blocks.

For reference, MVP candidate Anthony Davis’ line is 30/10/2.5. Coming off multiple surgeries, Embid is on a minutes restriction. But once he’s off his leash, watch out.

Dec 4, 2016; New York, NY, USA; Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins (15) shoots for three over New York Knicks center Joakim Noah (13) during the fourth quarter at Madison Square Garden. New York Knicks won 106-98. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

Centers Leading in PER

Just as we were ready to eulogize the center position, it comes back with a vengeance.

Anthony Davis, who often plays as the Pelicans main big man, leads the ESPN John Hollinger’s Player Efficiency Ratings list.

DeMarcus Cousins places in the top 10, with Hassan Whiteside, Joel Embid and Enes Kanter in the top 20. Karl-Anthony Towns and Andre Drummond just missed making the cut while Dwight Howard and DeAndre Jordan are both performing well.

And then there’s New York’s 7-foot-stud Kristaps Porzingis. Pretty impressive list.

Nov 14, 2016; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Memphis Grizzlies center Marc Gasol (33) shoots the ball during the first quarter against the Utah Jazz at Vivint Smart Home Arena. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports

Marc Gasol is 30-70 from beyond the three-point line

Stat: Gasol – 42% 3PT

Memphis Grizzlies CENTER Marc Gasol has shot more threes, 70, in 20 games this season than he did in his prior nine years.

Gasol, a former lumbering giant who served as a post threat and rim protector, has adopted his game to fit today’s NBA. And he’s not an anomaly. Brook Lopez has made more threes, 38, than he shot in eight previous seasons.

Centers shooting threes. The NBA’s new trend.

Nov 30, 2016; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) reacts after a play against the Washington Wizards during overtime at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

Russell Westbrook is averaging a triple-double

Stat: Westbrook – 31 PPG, 11 AST, 11 REB

This is pretty self explanatory, but we’ll dive deeper.

Russell Westbrook is on a different planet than everyone else at the moment. With six-straight triple-doubles, Westbrook has a shot at catching Wilt Chamberlain’s seemingly unbeatable record of eight straight.

It’s a long shot (?), but he could become the first player to average a triple-double over the course of a season since Oscar Robinson. Westbrook now has more career triple-doubles than LeBron James, and is on track for more triple-doubles this season than Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant had in their entire careers.

Just let all that sink.

Nov 28, 2016; Memphis, TN, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Kemba Walker (15) dribbles in the second half against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum. Charlotte defeated Memphis 104-85. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports

11.5 turnovers per 100 possessions

Stat: 11.5 TO Rate

That’s the Charlotte Hornets turnover rate according to NBA.com. It’s the lowest in the league since it started counting turnovers in 1977.

If you are wondering what makes the Hornets so good, outside of Kemba Walker, there’s your answer. Charlotte is really embracing the “don’t beat yourself” style of basketball. If so, it’s working. The Hornets are 12-9.

Nov 18, 2016; Sacramento, CA, USA; LA Clippers guard Chris Paul (3) talks with Clippers head coach Doc Rivers during the second quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-USA TODAY Sports

Chris Paul is fourth in offensive and defensive win shares

Stat: Paul – 3.1 OFF WS, 1.4 DEF WS

Very quietly, Chris Paul is having one of the best years of his career. His points and assists per game are above his career average while he’s improved his outside shot.

His play led the Clippers to an 11-2 start. Which is huge because if Paul performs well, the Clippers are at least fringe title contenders and could throw a wrinkle into the notion that this is a three-team race for the NBA Championship.

Miscellaneous numbers to keep in mind

Kevin Love is averaging more than 20 points and 10 rebounds per game again…He also scored 34 points in one quarter… Giannis Anteteokounmpo is eighth in the NBA in scoring…James Harden leads the NBA in assists…Jimmy Butler is third the NBA in win shares…George Hill has the highest offensive rating…The Golden State Warriors lead the league with 119 points per game. The next closest team are the Houston Rockets with 111.

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