The NBA is experiencing its most lopsided start to a season in league history, defined by a surge of blowout victories and a dramatic scarcity of close finishes.
Entering Wednesday, with roughly 13 percent of the regular season completed, the average winning margin stands at 13.8 points per game—surpassing the previous historic high of 13.4 points set during the 1949–50 season. If the current trend holds, the league is on track to set a victory-margin record for the fourth consecutive year.
So far, the league has recorded 15 games decided by 30 or more points, outnumbering the 13 games decided by three points or less.
“We got our (butt) kicked. No other way to put it,” New Orleans coach Jamahl Mosley said after a 51-point loss to Golden State, the largest blowout of the young season. “They came in and punched us in the mouth.”
The lopsided nature of the early schedule is evident across multiple franchises. The Chicago Bulls enter Wednesday being outscored by 16.7 points per game—a mark that, if sustained, would eclipse the worst full-season point differential in league history, currently held by the 1992–93 Dallas Mavericks at 15.2 points.
Meanwhile, the Charlotte Hornets have already suffered three losses by at least 33 points, matching their total from the entire previous season, while the Milwaukee Bucks are facing a deficit of nearly 15 points per game with three losses of 25 points or more.
“It’s part of our journey,” Milwaukee coach Taylor Jenkins said. “It’s our opportunity. Not going to call it a challenge; it’s an opportunity. I think we’ve got a lot of guys that have got to continue to try different things. What we’re doing right now is not working.”
A Scarcity of Close Finishes
Conversely, competitive finishes have become exceptionally rare. The 13 games decided by three points or less mark the lowest total at this stage of a season in 60 years, down significantly from 25 games at this point last year and 38 games in the 2024–25 season. Nearly half the league—14 of 30 teams—has yet to play in a game decided by three points or narrower.
Elite Scorers Challenge Historical Paces
Amid the defensive and competitive disparities, individual offensive production has reached extraordinary levels. Luka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers, Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors, and Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs have all averaged more than one point per minute over the first three weeks of the season.
Maintaining a point-per-minute pace for an entire season is an exceptionally rare feat. Among players with at least 1,500 points in a single campaign, only Wilt Chamberlain during his historic 1961–62 season has achieved the milestone, finishing at 1.04 points per minute while averaging more than 48 minutes per game.
Entering Wednesday, Wembanyama is averaging 1.01 points per minute, Curry sits at 1.07, and Doncic leads the group at 1.09.
“There’s a lot of good going on,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said following a performance where Wembanyama recorded 40 points, 11 rebounds, and nine blocked shots in just 25 minutes against Phoenix.
“He’s one of one,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr added regarding Curry, who enters Wednesday with a streak of six consecutive games averaging at least one point per minute.