SUMMARY
- Statistical reports reveal that Luka Doncic would lead the league in scoring even without free throws.
- Nikola Jokic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander would be 6th and 8th respectively in scoring without foul calls.
A recent report on an interesting statistical comparison proves that Luka Doncic is one of the best players in the league, if not the very best, at this point in time. As most fans should be aware, the 2023-2024 NBA season has finally come to an end and all the impressive performances that stars have managed to accomplish this season can finally be tallied and admired or criticized.
It might come as no surprise that Luka has been playing at an elite level this season and is a front-runner to win the MVP award. Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks currently hold the 5th spot in the Western Conference and have high expectations heading into the playoffs. Now that the context has been provided, one must wonder about these statistics reports and what they indicate about Luka.
How many points does Luka Doncic average this season without free throws?
One of the most controversial and debated issues throughout this season is the questionable foul calls that NBA referees have given or failed to give. Since these calls usually result in the scoring of points, one could argue that the referees play an instrumental role in deciding the numbers a player puts up and the inevitable outcome of a game.
Over the years, Luka Doncic has earned a reputation as a star who questions the referees frequently and expects a lot of foul calls. Therefore, some critics have opined that his success would be greatly diminished in the absence of multiple trips to the free throw line in a single game. However, statistics indicate that Doncic would lead the league in scoring at 26.9 points per game even if free throws were completely taken out of the equation.
Most PPG without Freethrows in 2024:
26.9 — Luka Doncic
24.8 — Jalen Brunson
23.5 — Kyrie Irving
23.5 — Giannis Antetokounmpo
22.7 — Stephen Curry pic.twitter.com/c1nsbS3TD3— Hoop Muse (@HoopMuse) April 15, 2024
This report speaks to Luka’s talent and reveals that he would still be an excellent player who found a way to score, with or without the assistance of referees via foul calls. While Doncic’s numbers without free throws have now been made available, fans might wonder how the other front-runner MVP candidates would be doing this season without getting favorable foul calls on a consistent basis.
SGA is at 21.8 ppg and Jokic has averaged 22.3 points on this list
It is common knowledge that OKC Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and 2023 NBA Finals MVP Nikola Jokic are the other NBA stars making a legitimate case for winning the MVP award this season. Although it is clear that they are both excellent players, the numbers indicate that SGA’s scoring would take a significant hit if he were not sent to the line often.
Although Jokic’s case doesn’t look as extreme, his numbers also decline when taking foul calls out of the equation. While Luka Doncic would lead the league in scoring with or without free throws, Jokic and SGA would be significantly below him on this list at the 6th and 8th positions respectively.
cont’d list:
22.3 — Nikola Jokic
21.9 — Kevin Durant
21.8 — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
21.6 — LeBron James
21.6 — Devin Booker— Hoop Muse (@HoopMuse) April 15, 2024
In any case, these reports on scoring stats without foul calls should not be given much weight. After all, free throws are an integral part of the game, and getting to the line is considered a form of art.