Who are the best isolation scorers in the NBA?
The answer, thus far in the current 2022-23 season, might surprise.
According to StatMuse, known specifically for its database of sports statistics, the top isolation scorers in the NBA right now are, in order:
- Detroit Pistons forward Bojan Bogdanovic.
- Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen.
- Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving.
- Chicago Bulls forward DeMar DeRozan.
Bogdanovic and Markkanen both, of course, played for the Utah Jazz at some point during the 2022 calendar year.
Bogdanovic spent three seasons with the Jazz before being traded in the summer for Kelly Olynyk and Saben Lee, whereas Markkanen was part of the trade that sent Donovan Mitchell to Cleveland.
Bogdanovic has been a revelation for the Pistons this season — another statistic courtesy of StatMuse shows that Bogdanovic and Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry are the only players in the NBA averaging 20-plus points per game while shooting 40% from 3-point range and 90% from the free throw line — even garnering All-Star buzz of late.
“I hope people don’t look at our record, a rebuilding team, and punish him for that,” Detroit Pistons coach Dwane Casey said last week, prior to a game between Detroit and Utah.
“To me, Bogey’s an All-Star,” Casey said. “I’ve coached a lot of players in my career — (Dirk) Nowitzki, (DeMar) DeRozan, Kevin Garnett — and offensively, he’s right up there with those guys as far as scoring the basketball. He knows how to score, has a knack for it. Feet set, he’s as good as any shooter I’ve been around.”
As for Markkanen, he has exceeded any and all expectations with Utah, becoming a legitimate All-Star candidate while averaging 23.2 points and 8.4 rebounds per game, shooting 52.8% from the field.
“He’s been scoring crazy, his numbers are crazy — field goal percentage, 3-point percentage, rebounding — he’s doing everything,” Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson told the Deseret News.
“When other teams play the Utah Jazz they know they have to game plan for Lauri Markkanen,” Jazz head coach Will Hardy added. “I don’t think that there’s a whole lot that I need to say that his play hasn’t said already.”