5 NBA Players Other Than Steph Curry Who Had Career-Best Seasons This Year
The Golden State Warriors have been the center of attention in the basketball world for the past two seasons. Since winning the 2014-2015 NBA championship, they have undoubtedly been the best team in the league, in large part due to the amazing play of their All-Star point guard Stephen Curry.
Not only did the reigning MVP lead his team to the best regular-season start and finish the NBA has ever seen, he topped his last season’s performance. He broke his previous record of 286 3-pointers in a season with 402, and his scoring average went from 23 points a game to 30.
All eyes were on Curry this season, and for good reason. But with all of the coverage the baby faced assassin received, other NBA stars might have been overlooked. Curry is not the only player to have a career-best season. Here are five NBA players whose spectacular seasons were overshadowed by Curry.
RELATED: 5 NBA Greats Who Ended Their Careers On Terrible Games
James Harden
Houston Rockets shooting guard James Harden went off this year. Although his team only did well enough to reach the eighth playoff spot in the West, Harden had the best year of his career. “The Beard” averaged 29 points, 7.5 assists and 6.1 rebounds per game. He is only the fourth player in the NBA to achieve those kinds of numbers.
Russell Westbrook
Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook is one of the most explosive players on the planet. The return of Kevin Durant contributed to a drop in his scoring average, but other parts of his game achieved career highs. He averaged 10.4 assists and 7.8 rebounds per game and shot 45 percent from the field. He also had a season-high 18 triple-doubles.
Paul George
This was Indiana Pacers guard Paul George’s first full year back following the gruesome leg injury he suffered in 2014 as a member of Team USA. To get back on the court, he conquered not only physical hurdles but mental ones as well. Nothing stopped PG13. Even after his injury, George’s scoring average went up from 21 to 23.1 points per game, even though he played two fewer minutes per game.
Kemba Walker
Charlotte Hornets point guard Kemba Walker had the best shooting season of his career. His scoring average jumped 3 points from 17 to 20 points per game, and his shooting percentages increased as well. His field goal percentage rose to 42 from 38, his 3-point percentage went up to 37 from 30, and his free-throw percentage improved by 2 percent.
Kyle Lowry
Toronto Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry was a first time All-Star last season, but this season was the best of his career. Lowry’s scoring shot way up to 21 points per game from 17 last season. He also had a career high in steals, averaging 2.1 per game. Lowry led his team in assists and steals this season and was a close second in points scored.
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5 NBA Players Other Than Steph Curry Who Had Career-Best Seasons This Year
The Golden State Warriors have been the center of attention in the basketball world for the past two seasons. Since winning the 2014-2015 NBA championship, they have undoubtedly been the best team in the league, in large part due to the amazing play of their All-Star point guard Stephen Curry.
Not only did the reigning MVP lead his team to the best regular-season start and finish the NBA has ever seen, he topped his last season’s performance. He broke his previous record of 286 3-pointers in a season with 402, and his scoring average went from 23 points a game to 30.
All eyes were on Curry this season, and for good reason. But with all of the coverage the baby faced assassin received, other NBA stars might have been overlooked. Curry is not the only player to have a career-best season. Here are five NBA players whose spectacular seasons were overshadowed by Curry.
RELATED: 5 NBA Greats Who Ended Their Careers On Terrible Games
James Harden
Houston Rockets shooting guard James Harden went off this year. Although his team only did well enough to reach the eighth playoff spot in the West, Harden had the best year of his career. “The Beard” averaged 29 points, 7.5 assists and 6.1 rebounds per game. He is only the fourth player in the NBA to achieve those kinds of numbers.
Russell Westbrook
Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook is one of the most explosive players on the planet. The return of Kevin Durant contributed to a drop in his scoring average, but other parts of his game achieved career highs. He averaged 10.4 assists and 7.8 rebounds per game and shot 45 percent from the field. He also had a season-high 18 triple-doubles.
Paul George
This was Indiana Pacers guard Paul George’s first full year back following the gruesome leg injury he suffered in 2014 as a member of Team USA. To get back on the court, he conquered not only physical hurdles but mental ones as well. Nothing stopped PG13. Even after his injury, George’s scoring average went up from 21 to 23.1 points per game, even though he played two fewer minutes per game.
Kemba Walker
Charlotte Hornets point guard Kemba Walker had the best shooting season of his career. His scoring average jumped 3 points from 17 to 20 points per game, and his shooting percentages increased as well. His field goal percentage rose to 42 from 38, his 3-point percentage went up to 37 from 30, and his free-throw percentage improved by 2 percent.
Kyle Lowry
Toronto Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry was a first time All-Star last season, but this season was the best of his career. Lowry’s scoring shot way up to 21 points per game from 17 last season. He also had a career high in steals, averaging 2.1 per game. Lowry led his team in assists and steals this season and was a close second in points scored.