Key figures from the chart
- Three point attempts by the top 10 players rose from 2.5 a game (1996 to 2000) to 6.6 (2016 to 2020), and three pointers made from 0.9 to 2.4.
- Points rose from 25.0 to 29.5 a game, and assists from 4.2 to 6.2.
- Field goal percentage climbed from 47% to 51%, and free throw percentage from 75% to 83%.
- Minutes fell from 38.9 to 35.4 a game and games played from 70.0 to 64.1, while average age rose from 26.9 to 28.5.
- Average salary grew from $8.0M to $34.5M, about 4.3 times (our arithmetic).
All figures are from the graphic by AnalyTex, which cites NBA.com for player metrics and HoopsHype for salaries.
All 30 years of top 10 NBA player metrics
Title: Evolving Performance: 30 years of Top 10 NBA Player Metrics. Each panel is subtitled “Average of top 10 Players per Season Groups (5 Years)”. Bars are labelled with the value and, in brackets here, the change from the previous period as printed (green up arrows and red down arrows on the graphic). Values are per game unless stated.
Offensive metrics
| Metric | 1996-2000 | 2001-2005 | 2006-2010 | 2011-2015 | 2016-2020 | 2020-2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 point attempts | 2.5 | 3.7 (+53%) | 3.6 (-4%) | 4.3 (+19%) | 6.6 (+55%) | 6.3 (-5%) |
| 3 points made | 0.9 | 1.3 (+54%) | 1.3 (-5%) | 1.6 (+25%) | 2.4 (+54%) | 2.3 (-5%) |
| 3 point attempt % | 27% | 31% (+15.44%) | 33% (+7.50%) | 33% (+0.05%) | 36% (+7.95%) | 36% (+1.21%) |
| Field goal attempts | 19.5 | 20.3 (+4%) | 19.1 (-6%) | 18.7 (-2%) | 19.7 (+5%) | 20.4 (+3%) |
| Field goals made | 9.2 | 9.3 (0%) | 9.0 (-3%) | 8.8 (-3%) | 9.6 (+9%) | 10.3 (+8%) |
| Field goal % | 47% | 46% (-3%) | 47% (+3%) | 47% (0%) | 49% (+3%) | 51% (+4%) |
| Free throw attempts | 7.7 | 8.0 (4%) | 8.1 (+2%) | 7.2 (-12%) | 7.8 (+9%) | 8.0 (+3%) |
| Free throws made | 5.7 | 6.3 (11%) | 6.6 (+6%) | 5.9 (-11%) | 6.4 (+9%) | 6.6 (+2%) |
| Free throw % | 75% | 79% (+6%) | 82% (+3%) | 82% (0%) | 83% (+1%) | 83% (0%) |
| Assists | 4.2 | 4.7 (+12%) | 4.4 (-5%) | 5.0 (+13%) | 6.1 (+22%) | 6.2 (+2%) |
Defensive metrics
| Metric | 1996-2000 | 2001-2005 | 2006-2010 | 2011-2015 | 2016-2020 | 2020-2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blocks | 1.0 | 0.9 (-13%) | 0.7 (-20%) | 0.7 (0%) | 0.8 (+7%) | 0.8 (+1%) |
| Rebounds | 7.5 | 7.1 (-5%) | 6.1 (-14%) | 7.1 (+16%) | 7.4 (+4%) | 7.5 (+1%) |
| Steals | 1.4 | 1.5 (+10%) | 1.3 (-12%) | 1.4 (+4%) | 1.3 (-7%) | 1.2 (-8%) |
| Turnovers | 3.0 | 2.9 (-3%) | 2.9 (0%) | 3.1 (+5%) | 3.4 (+11%) | 3.2 (-7%) |
Legacy metrics
| Metric | 1996-2000 | 2001-2005 | 2006-2010 | 2011-2015 | 2016-2020 | 2020-2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age | 26.9 | 26.4 (-2%) | 26.7 (+1%) | 26.7 (0%) | 27.2 (+2%) | 28.5 (+5%) |
| Points | 25.0 | 26.1 (+5%) | 25.9 (-1%) | 25.0 (-3%) | 28.0 (+12%) | 29.5 (+5%) |
| Minutes played | 38.9 | 39.4 (+1%) | 37.7 (-4%) | 36.1 (-4%) | 34.8 (-4%) | 35.4 (+2%) |
| Wins | 38.6 | 42.5 (+10%) | 41.1 (-3%) | 42.0 (+2%) | 39.1 (-7%) | 39.8 (+2%) |
| Losses | 31.4 | 29.6 (-6%) | 31.2 (+5%) | 26.4 (-15%) | 26.2 (-1%) | 24.3 (-7%) |
| Games played | 70.0 | 72.1 (+3%) | 72.3 (0%) | 68.3 (-5%) | 65.3 (-4%) | 64.1 (-2%) |
| Salary | $8.0M | $11.7M (+46%) | $13.0M (+12%) | $14.9M (+14%) | $25.1M (+69%) | $34.5M (+37%) |
Footer: AnalyTex logo; “Player Metrics Data Source: NBA.com”; “NBA Player Salary Data Source: HoopsHype”; Reddit u/data_enchilada.
The three point shift
The biggest change on this NBA infographic is shooting from distance. Three point attempts more than doubled across the 30 years, from 2.5 to 6.3 a game (our arithmetic), with the largest single jump, 55%, between 2011 to 2015 and 2016 to 2020. Total field goal attempts barely moved, from 19.5 to 20.4, so more of the same number of shots were taken from three.
Efficiency rose at the same time. Field goal percentage is the highest of the six periods in 2020 to 2024, at 51%, and free throw percentage has stayed at 82% to 83% since 2006.
Playing time, age and pay
The top players now play fewer minutes and fewer games. Minutes per game fell by 3.5 and games played by 5.9 between the first and last period (our arithmetic), even though points per game rose by 4.5. Average age rose most in the last period, from 27.2 to 28.5.
Salary rose in every period. The steepest rise, 69%, came between 2011 to 2015 and 2016 to 2020, when average pay went from $14.9M to $25.1M.
Notes on this infographic
- Overlapping periods. The last two groups are labelled 2016 to 2020 and 2020 to 2024, so 2020 appears in both.
- How the top 10 is chosen. The graphic does not say how the top 10 players in each period were picked.
- 3 point attempt %. This row does not equal three pointers made divided by attempts. Using the chart’s own averages, that ratio is about 35% to 37% in every period (our arithmetic), not 27% rising to 36%. The graphic does not define the measure.
- Arrows and zeros. Some changes printed as 0% still carry an up or down arrow, probably from unrounded values. Two 2001 to 2005 free throw changes have no arrow.
- Axes. Several bar charts do not start at zero, which makes small changes look larger.
Sources
- Reddit r/dataisbeautiful, [OC] Evolving Performance: 30 Years of Top 10 NBA Player Metrics, posted by u/data_enchilada (AnalyTex).
Last reviewed 29 October 2026
