Welcome Back: Catching football fans up on the NBA season

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Luka Doncic, LeBron James, Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /

3. The scoring is insane

The scoring is up in the NBA this season, with NBA offenses scoring at a level of efficiency not seen in NBA history. The league average offensive rating this season is 114.1; that is already 1.8 points above the record (set two seasons ago in 2020-21) and has gone up each month thus far.

That has resulted in some truly insane offensive numbers put up by the league’s MVP candidates. Seven players are averaging more than 30 points per game, with Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry just behind at 29.7. Joel Embiid is leading the way with 33.5 points per game (and isn’t starting the All-Star Game!), with Luka Doncic on his tail averaging 33.4 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 8.2 assists per game, nearly a triple-double.

Oh, you want a real triple-double? The two-time defending MVP is having the best season of his career, averaging 25 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 10.1 assists on elite efficiency. He’s the MVP favorite but it’s still a wide-open race, with Doncic, Embiid, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Jayson Tatum all in play.