Why Players Are Scoring Higher Than Ever According To Warriors Head Coach

The entire basketball world was witness to some great scoring performances in recent days, especially with Donovan Mitchell's 71-point outing, but Steve Kerr feels as if the players have been keeping their foot off the gas pedal on defense.

During a press conference on Thursday January 5, the Golden State Warriors head coach prefaced his comments by stating how talented modern-day NBA players are before even entering the league.

However, he noted that their defensive effort leaves a lot more to be desired.

"It just feels like the game has gotten a lot faster and more open in recent years. I also think the players today are learning to dribble and shoot from a really early age. The league has gone away from the old days of low post play, it's now a perimeter game," Kerr stated.

"What's lacking, I think, is the foundation; that institutional knowledge that players used to have when they came into the league after a few years of college. Sometimes, the defense isn't great. Transition defense is at an all-time low."

Kerr's assessment of the league can be seen as correct as most teams have been putting in more effort to develop a game plan that consists mainly of outscoring their opponent instead of trying to stop them from scoring.

While fans would want to blame it on referees blowing their whistles without any remorse, the stats dictate that the calls are on par with previous seasons.

The NBA as a whole is averaging about 20.5 personal fouls called per game across the past 575 days which is good for fifth in the league starting from the 2010-11 season according to data gathered from Basketball Reference.

Currently, the league has eight players scoring 29 or more points in the game with Luka Doncic, Joel Embiid and Giannis Antetokounmpo averaging 34, 33.5 and 32.7 points per game respectively.

The three players mentioned are also averaging double-digit attempts from the line, but their field goal percentages are well above the 50-percent mark, which validates Kerr's claims of having a more talented league.

Mitchell breaking the 71-point plane for the first time since Devin Booker did it in 2017 was a sight to see after making 22 of his 34 field goals alongside seven three-pointers plus 25 attempts at the foul line, which speaks more to the Chicago Bulls being unable to stop him without fouling.

Kerr admitted that his Warriors are somewhat guilty of ushering in the trend of perimeter-heavy basketball, but the results of four NBA titles are simply undeniable and show how much of a weapon it is if implemented correctly.

All in all, NBA fans are on track to witness even more great scoring nights for the rest of the season after bearing witness to multiple high-scoring games that feature a 60-point outing from Doncic, Booker's 58-point explosion against the New Orleans Pelicans and Stephen Curry's own 50 points early in the season.