NBA Players with the Highest Scoring Averages in Playoffs in Their 4th Season

Explore the NBA players who delivered the best stats ever in a 4th NBA season, ranked by playoff points per game. See how the all-time greats compare in this top-50 historical list.

Year:

4th

/ Other years

Other years
1st / 2nd / 3rd / 4th / 5th / 6th / 7th / 8th / 9th / 10th / 11th / 12th / 13th / 14th / 15th / 16th / 17th / 18th / 19th / 20th / 21st / 22nd / 23rd

Show: Season - Playoffs / Other Stats

Other Stats

Points Per Game

3-Pointers Made Per Game

Total

Which NBA player averaged the most points in the Playoffs in his 4th year?

Playing for the 1962 Los Angeles Lakers, Elgin Baylor averaged 38.6 points in 13 games — the highest playoff scoring average by any NBA player in his 4th season.

Points Per Game, 4th Season

38.6 ppg
Elgin Baylor
(1962 Los Angeles Lakers)

Note: No game minimums were used for this list / = NBA champion in this season.

Points Per Game in a Player's 4th Season - Top 50

Playoffs

		Points			Other stats
Rk	Player (Team)	Per Game	Total	Gms	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	3pm
1	Elgin Baylor (1962 Lakers)	38.6	502	13	17.7	3.6	-	-	-
2	Hakeem Olajuwon (1988 Rockets)	37.5	150	4	16.8	1.8	2.3	2.8	0.0
3	Michael Jordan (1988 Bulls)	36.3	363	10	7.1	4.7	2.4	1.1	0.1
4	Tracy McGrady (2001 Magic)	33.8	135	4	6.5	8.3	1.8	1.3	0.5
5	George Gervin (1980 Spurs)	33.3	100	3	6.7	4.0	1.7	1.0	0.0
6	Rolando Blackman (1985 Mavericks)	32.8	131	4	6.5	4.8	0.5	0.5	0.3
7	Donovan Mitchell (2021 Jazz)	32.3	323	10	4.2	5.5	1.1	0.2	5.0
8	Luka Doncic (2022 Mavericks)	31.7	475	15	9.8	6.4	1.8	0.6	3.4
9	Jerry West (1964 Lakers)	31.2	156	5	7.2	3.4	-	-	-
10	Penny Hardaway (1997 Magic)	31.0	155	5	6.0	3.4	2.4	1.4	2.2

		Points			Other stats
Rk	Player (Team)	Per Game	Total	Gms	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	3pm
11	Karl Malone (1989 Jazz)	30.7	92	3	16.3	1.3	1.0	0.3	0.0
12	Jayson Tatum (2021 Celtics)	30.6	153	5	5.8	4.6	1.2	1.6	2.8
13	Joel Embiid (2020 76ers)	30.0	120	4	12.3	1.3	1.5	1.3	1.0
14	Tyrese Maxey (2024 76ers)	29.8	179	6	5.2	6.8	0.8	0.3	3.7
15	Chris Mullin (1989 Warriors)	29.4	235	8	5.9	4.5	1.8	1.4	0.1
16	Oscar Robertson (1964 Royals)	29.3	293	10	8.9	8.4	-	-	-
17	Mark Aguirre (1985 Mavericks)	29.0	116	4	7.5	4.0	0.8	0.0	0.3
18	Paul Arizin (1956 Warriors)	28.9	289	10	8.4	2.9	-	-	-
19	Kevin Durant (2011 Thunder)	28.6	487	17	8.2	2.8	0.9	1.1	2.2
20	Dominique Wilkins (1986 Hawks)	28.6	257	9	6.0	2.8	1.0	0.2	0.1

		Points			Other stats
Rk	Player (Team)	Per Game	Total	Gms	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	3pm
21	George Yardley (1957 Pistons)	28.5	57	2	9.5	4.0	-	-	-
22	Dirk Nowitzki (2002 Mavericks)	28.4	227	8	13.1	2.3	2.0	0.8	2.0
23	Bob McAdoo (1976 Braves)	28.0	252	9	14.2	3.2	0.8	2.0	-
24	Anthony Edwards (2024 Timberwolves)	27.6	441	16	7.0	6.5	1.5	0.6	2.9
25	Campy Russell (1978 Cavaliers)	27.5	55	2	7.5	5.5	1.5	0.5	-
26	Carmelo Anthony (2007 Nuggets)	26.8	134	5	8.6	1.2	1.0	0.0	1.8
27	Gus Williams (1979 Supersonics)	26.7	454	17	4.1	3.7	2.0	0.6	-
28	Jamal Murray (2020 Nuggets)	26.5	504	19	4.8	6.6	0.9	0.3	3.3
29	Damian Lillard (2016 Trail Blazers)	26.5	291	11	4.3	6.3	1.3	0.3	3.8
30	James Harden (2013 Rockets)	26.3	158	6	6.7	4.5	2.0	1.0	2.5

		Points			Other stats
Rk	Player (Team)	Per Game	Total	Gms	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	3pm
31	Bob Lanier (1974 Pistons)	26.3	184	7	15.3	3.0	0.6	2.0	-
32	Allen Iverson (2000 76ers)	26.2	262	10	4.0	4.5	1.2	0.1	1.2
33	John Drew (1978 Hawks)	26.0	52	2	7.5	1.5	0.5	0.5	-
34	Moses Malone (1980 Rockets)	25.9	181	7	13.9	1.0	0.6	2.3	0.0
35	Shaquille O'Neal (1996 Magic)	25.8	310	12	10.0	4.6	0.8	1.3	0.0
36	Dillon Brooks (2021 Grizzlies)	25.8	129	5	4.2	2.2	1.4	0.4	1.6
	Franz Wagner (2025 Magic)	25.8	129	5	4.8	5.6	1.2	0.4	1.4
38	Kiki Vandeweghe (1984 Nuggets)	25.4	127	5	4.6	4.0	1.8	1.0	0.4
39	Dale Ellis (1987 Supersonics)	25.2	353	14	6.4	2.6	0.7	0.4	0.9
40	Nikola Jokic (2019 Nuggets)	25.1	352	14	13.0	8.4	1.1	0.9	1.6

		Points			Other stats
Rk	Player (Team)	Per Game	Total	Gms	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	3pm
41	Jeff Mullins (1968 Warriors)	25.1	251	10	4.4	4.9	-	-	-
42	LeBron James (2007 Cavaliers)	25.1	501	20	8.1	8.0	1.7	0.5	1.1
43	Cade Cunningham (2025 Pistons)	25.0	150	6	8.3	8.7	1.8	1.3	0.8
44	Giannis Antetokounmpo (2017 Bucks)	24.8	149	6	9.5	4.0	2.2	1.7	0.7
45	Mike Mitchell (1982 Spurs)	24.8	223	9	8.1	0.8	0.6	0.1	0.0
46	Marques Johnson (1981 Bucks)	24.7	173	7	9.4	4.9	1.4	1.0	0.0
47	Dennis Schroder (2017 Hawks)	24.7	148	6	2.3	7.7	1.0	0.0	2.8
	Buck Williams (1985 Nets)	24.7	74	3	10.7	0.3	1.0	1.7	0.0
49	Paul Pierce (2002 Celtics)	24.6	394	16	8.6	4.1	1.7	1.3	1.9
50	Ja Morant (2023 Grizzlies)	24.6	123	5	6.8	7.0	1.8	0.2	2.6

* The NBA began recording rebounds in 1951, steals and blocks in 1974, and added the 3-point line in 1980.