Offensive rating is an advanced metric for calculating how many points a player produces per 100 possessions. And the Nuggets lead the category. Yes, plural. The whole starting five, plus Peyton Watson, are on top of the list for all players with more than 19 games played (Christian Braun has the least amount played of the bunch at 19).
Despite their injury woes and 80% of the opening night starting lineup missing more than 16 games due to injury, the Nuggets' offense has been scoring points in bunches. They continue to lead the league in points per game (120.4) and team offensive rating (121.0); however, before Nikola Jokic's 16-game absence, the Nuggets were averaging a staggering 125 points per game.
It's no surprise that Nikola Jokic is leading the charge in offensive rating at 127.1, but to see five other Nuggets in tow is incredible. Cam Johnson is next, at 126.2, followed by Jamal Murray, Watson, Braun, and Aaron Gordon. Only Ty Jerome and Blake Hinson, who have played a combined seven games, sit higher on the list. I can't forget Tim Hardaway Jr., either. He's 13th on the list with a 120.4 rating.
The Nuggets' offense is head and shoulders above the field. Only the Celtics, Hornets, and Knicks have a pair of teammates inside the top 20. Denver has seven. Wild.
There are several key drivers behind the absurd production
The biggest driver behind this incredible stat has been the lights-out shooting by the Nuggets. They continue to lead the league in three-point percentage, and they're second in field goal percentage. The Nuggets also lead the league in EFG, effective field goal percentage.
Efficiency is the name of Jokic's game, and he's helped spread that around the roster. He's leading the league in assists and having his best season statistically ever, but his influence on the rest of the team's shot-taking has been substantial. The Joker's court vision allows him to find the open player, and Denver's been making the most of it.
Finally, Murray's been on another level this year. He's got a career-high in points that's 4.3 pts per game better than his prior career-high.
And, he's averaging a career-high in assists, too, taking a page out of the Joker's book, and finding the open teammates who are burying their shots. Head coach David Adelman surely has an efficient bunch of players on his hands. Now, he's got to find a way to keep them all on the floor together.