Buying or selling early trends of the 2019-20 NBA season
With the 2019-20 NBA season fully operational, it’s time to figure out which early trends are here to stay and those that are likely to pass.
The beginning stages of an NBA season are a strange time. Certain players are shaking varying amounts of rust off their rested bodies. Just as many might hit the ground running with incredible numbers to start the year.
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It’s a phenomenon that lends itself to some eye-opening performances on both ends of the spectrum and averages that require a second take.
Of the five leading scorers from a season ago, only one ranks in the top five in the early stages of the 2019-20 season. Four players are averaging at least 30 points a game, compared to just one in 2018-19.
As the season progresses, consistency will win out and the stat columns will regain some sense of normalcy. That being said, breakout campaigns certainly exists and both players and teams have shown the ability to outplay expectations.
The challenge that comes with these perceived outliers isn’t completely about determining which are here to stay for the long haul and those likely to fizzle out. It’s not an all or nothing proposition, but rather a guessing game of sorts to predict which of the early-season surprises we can expect more of in the coming months.