Could Austin Daye – or any non-rookie – average more points per game during an entire season than his current career high?

I might be a little biased toward this site, but when catching up on Pistons articles I missed while out of town, I found Patrick’s post about the Pistons’ outrageous expectations for Austin Daye and Rodney Stuckey exceptional. If you haven’t read it, I suggest you do.

Anyway, my favorite point was how the Pistons have been selling Daye as a potential 20-point-per-game scorer, or maybe even a top-10 scorer in the NBA – when his career high is just 17 points. That was such a novel concept to me. So, let’s ask the question:

Which non-rookie is most likely average more points per game during an entire season than his current career high?

One caveat is the player must be a rotation player when his scoring average bests his current career high. So, someone with a career high of two points couldn’t score six points in two games next season and qualify. But someone with a career of two points could average three points per game in 70 games next season and qualify.

Here’s a list of some players I think have a chance, along with their current career high:

• Ty Lawson – 25
• Javale McGee – 25
• Chase Budinger – 24
• Omri Casspi – 24
• Greg Oden – 24
• Jeff Teague – 24
• DeAndre Jordan – 23
• Taj Gibson – 22
• Serge Ibaka – 22
• Tyler Hansbrough – 21
• James Johnson – 20
• Alonzo Gee – 19
• Austin Daye – 17
• Marcin Gortat – 16
• Gerald Henderson – 15
• Jordan Hill – 15
• Jason Smith – 15
• D.J. White – 15
• Earl Clark – 14
• DaJuan Summers – 13
• Kyrylo Fesenko – 12
• Jon Brockman – 11
• Hasheem Thabeet – 10
• Byron Mullens – 5

Obviously, most of these players won’t achieve this feat. There’s probably a good chance none of them will. My most likely candidates are:

1. Jordan Hill
2. Marcin Gortat
3. Byron Mullens
4. Austin Daye
5. Hasheem Thabeet

Who are your top five?

Feel free to nominate your own choice. To find a player’s career high, go to his Basketball-Reference.com page, click “Game Finder” and then click “Get Results.”

Be Sociable, Share!

•