Photo Credit: Scott Mecum, Flickr.com

One of our regular columns during the NBA season is Stat Central. It is a deeper look into the NBA game from a statistical point of view. Today, we’re going to take a look back to the 2011-12 season to look at ten really strange and improbable statistics.

Over the span of an NBA season, improbabilities usually iron themselves out but there are always a few that seep through the cracks. Let’s get to it.

1. Luke Walton‘s (IN)ability to get to the free throw line

Walton can’t be described as an offensive force by any stretch of the imagination but this stat really baffles me. He played a total of 364 minutes last year, which would be about 10 full games for a regular starter. The strange part? He NEVER went to the free throw line. Not once.

2. Mike Miller can’t hit the close ones

Miller is known as a three-point shooter so it’s not surprising to know he shot 45.3% last year. What is surprising is that his field goal percentage is LESS than his three-point percentage (43.5%) and what’s more? He shot even WORSE from the free-throw line (40.0%)!

3. What are we paying you for again?

Of players that played more than 10 minutes in a game, there were 57 instances where they recorded 0 points, 0 rebounds and 0 assists. However, there was only 1 time where a player put up zeroes in EVERY category. No shots, no turnovers, not even a personal foul. This wonderful show of….nothing….goes to Quincy Pondexter, who played 11 minutes in a loss and recorded all zeroes. He had another game in which he played 15 minutes but actually recorded one steal and two fouls to go along with all zeroes.

4. Making the most of his time

Being buried at the end of Gregg Popovich‘s bench is no fun. Eric Dawson knows full well how Pop treats the back of the rotation so he decided he was going all out when he got the chance. In a game against the Mavericks, Dawson got just one minute of official play, but he managed to make three shots and record a block. He also recorded a foul, probably to stop the clock so he could get another shot up.

5. Tough to get shots on the Knicks

There were 11 times that a player was in the game for more than 35 minutes but managed to take three shots or less from the field. Tyson Chandler recorded four of those 11 games. His “signature” performance came against the Philadelphia 76ers, where he played 35 minutes, was 0-1 from the field and ended up with three points and 13 rebounds.

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