Note: All stats and rankings through games played on Friday, Oct. 29. (IST)
Saturday, Oct. 30
Charlotte Hornets (4-1) at Miami Heat (3-1)
• Through four games, Jimmy Butler ranks third in the NBA in deflections (4.5 per game) and second in steals (3.3 per game). Last season, Butler led the NBA in steals (2.1 per game) for the first time in his career after finishing in the top seven in the category five times.
• Of the 47 players that have attempted at least 20 catch-and-shoot jumpers this season, Charlotte’s Miles Bridges ranks fifth in effective field goal percentage at 72.5%. That is a career-best mark for Bridges, who posted a 55.9 eFG% on 3.2 catch-and-shoot jumpers per game a season ago.
• The Hornets are tied for fourth in the league with most points in the paint, averaging 52.0 ppg, led by Miles Bridges scoring 12.4 of his team-high 26.2 ppg in the lane. The Heat are tied for fourth in the league for fewest points allowed in the paint, only an average 40.5 ppg in the key, anchored by Bam Adebayo.
Dallas Mavericks (3-1) at Denver Nuggets (2-2)
• The Mavericks have scored 41.7% of their points on 3-point shots so far this season, which is the second-highest percentage in the league behind New York (42%). Meanwhile, the Nuggets have scored 48.4% of their points inside the paint (4th highest percentage), which is a total opposite of the Mavericks who hold the lowest percentage of points in the paint (35.6%).
• Luka Doncic ranks fourth in the NBA in scoring (10.8) and first in assists (3.8) on drives to the basket so far this season. Doncic is shooting 62.1% on drives – the highest mark of the 55 players that average at least four shots on drives per game.
• Nikola Jokic is questionable for tonight’s game after suffering a knee contusion against Utah on Tuesday. Through four games, the Nuggets have outscored their opponents by 37 points in 118 minutes with the reigning Kia MVP on the court and been outscored by 43 points in his 74 minutes off the court. The Nuggets will look to get Michael Porter Jr. going as he is averaging 11.5 points on 34.6% shooting through four games, compared to 19.0 ppg on 54.2% shooting last season.
Sunday, Oct. 31
Atlanta Hawks (3-2) at Philadelphia 76ers (3-2)
• Of the 25 players that defend at least five shots at the rim per game, Atlanta’s Clint Capela allows the lowest field goal percentage at 34.6% through four games for the Hawks. Capela’s rim protection has been slightly better than second-ranked Andre Drummond of Philadelphia at 37.5% allowed at the basket.
• Joel Embiid posted season highs of 30 points and 18 rebounds in Philadelphia’s win over Detroit on Thursday – marking his first 30-10 game of the season. He finished with 16 30-10 games last season – second only to Giannis Antetokounmpo’s league-leading 17 such games.
• Through five games, John Collins is shooting 68.3% (41-60) from the field – the seventh-highest mark in the league, and a huge leap for him personally from last season’s 55.6% shooting. He’s done most of his work at the rim as he is shooting 26-29 (89.7%) within five feet of the basket. Those shots account for 63.4% of his field goals made this season, compared to 53.1% a season ago.
Monday, Nov. 1
Utah Jazz (4-0) at Milwaukee Bucks (3-2)
• Utah is the final unbeaten team in the league at 4-0 and have won their games by an average of 18.3 points per game. Utah enters the weekend ranked second in both offensive efficiency (114.8 points per 100 possessions) and defensive efficiency (96.0 points allowed per 100 possessions). The Atlanta Hawks are the only other team to rank in the top 10 in both categories so far this season.
• Giannis Antetokounmpo has led the NBA in scoring on transition plays for each of the past three seasons – 7.3 ppg in 2018-19, 8.3 ppg in 2019-20 and 8.2 ppg in 2020-21. Through Milwaukee’s first five games of the 2021-22 season, Giannis has upped that average to 10.0 ppg – once again a league-high.
• Utah is the only team this season with more unassisted field goals (51.9%) than assisted field goals (48.1%). The Jazz lead the NBA with 29.5 points per game from ball handler pick-and-roll plays, and do so with great efficiency as their 63.4% effective field goal percentage is 7.1 percentage points higher than second-ranked Milwaukee (56.3%).
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