NBA Players with the Highest Scoring Averages in Playoffs in Their 5th Season

Explore the NBA players who delivered the best stats ever in a 5th NBA season, ranked by playoff points per game. See how the all-time greats compare in this top-50 historical list.

Year:

5th

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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 5th year?

Playing for the 1965 Los Angeles Lakers, Jerry West averaged 40.6 points in 11 games — the highest playoff scoring average by any NBA player in his 5th season.

Points Per Game, 5th Season

40.6 ppg
Jerry West
(1965 Los Angeles Lakers)

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

Points Per Game in a Player's 5th Season - Top 50

Playoffs

		Points			Other stats
Rk	Player (Team)	Per Game	Total	Gms	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	3pm
1	Jerry West (1965 Lakers)	40.6	447	11	5.7	5.3	-	-	-
2	Michael Jordan (1989 Bulls)	34.8	591	17	7.0	7.6	2.5	0.8	0.6
3	Wilt Chamberlain (1964 Warriors)	34.7	416	12	25.2	3.3	-	-	-
4	Gilbert Arenas (2006 Wizards)	34.0	204	6	5.5	5.3	2.2	0.7	3.3
5	Allen Iverson (2001 76ers)	32.9	723	22	4.7	6.1	2.4	0.3	2.2
6	Elgin Baylor (1963 Lakers)	32.6	424	13	13.6	4.5	-	-	-
7	Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1974 Bucks)	32.2	515	16	15.8	4.9	1.3	2.4	-
8	Tracy McGrady (2002 Magic)	30.8	123	4	6.3	5.5	0.5	1.8	1.3
9	Kobe Bryant (2001 Lakers)	29.4	471	16	7.3	6.1	1.6	0.8	0.7
10	Patrick Ewing (1990 Knicks)	29.4	294	10	10.5	3.1	1.3	2.0	0.1

		Points			Other stats
Rk	Player (Team)	Per Game	Total	Gms	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	3pm
11	Billy Cunningham (1970 76ers)	29.2	146	5	10.4	4.0	-	-	-
12	Trae Young (2023 Hawks)	29.2	175	6	3.7	10.2	1.7	0.7	3.0
13	Fred Brown (1976 Supersonics)	28.5	171	6	4.7	2.8	2.2	0.0	-
	Kevin Durant (2012 Thunder)	28.5	570	20	7.4	3.7	1.5	1.2	2.1
15	Rick Barry (1975 Warriors)	28.2	479	17	5.5	6.1	2.9	0.9	-
16	LeBron James (2008 Cavaliers)	28.2	366	13	7.8	7.6	1.8	1.3	1.4
17	Joel Embiid (2021 76ers)	28.1	309	11	10.5	3.4	1.0	1.5	1.5
18	Reggie Lewis (1992 Celtics)	28.0	280	10	4.3	3.9	2.4	0.8	0.2
	Oscar Robertson (1965 Royals)	28.0	112	4	4.8	12.0	-	-	-
20	Bob Pettit (1959 Hawks)	27.8	167	6	12.5	2.3	-	-	-

		Points			Other stats
Rk	Player (Team)	Per Game	Total	Gms	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	3pm
21	Jalen Brunson (2023 Knicks)	27.8	306	11	4.9	5.6	1.5	0.1	2.4
22	Damian Lillard (2017 Trail Blazers)	27.8	111	4	4.5	3.3	1.3	0.5	2.3
23	Gene Shue (1959 Pistons)	27.7	83	3	4.7	3.3	-	-	-
24	Tim Duncan (2002 Spurs)	27.6	248	9	14.4	5.0	0.7	4.3	0.1
25	Larry Bird (1984 Celtics)	27.5	632	23	11.0	5.9	2.3	1.2	0.3
26	John Havlicek (1967 Celtics)	27.4	247	9	8.1	3.1	-	-	-
27	John Stockton (1989 Jazz)	27.3	82	3	3.3	13.7	3.7	1.7	1.0
28	George Gervin (1981 Spurs)	27.1	190	7	5.0	3.4	0.7	0.7	0.0
29	Paul Pierce (2003 Celtics)	27.1	271	10	9.0	6.7	2.1	0.8	1.6
30	Charles Barkley (1989 76ers)	27.0	81	3	11.7	5.3	1.7	0.7	0.3
	Reggie Miller (1992 Pacers)	27.0	81	3	2.3	4.7	1.3	0.0	2.3

		Points			Other stats
Rk	Player (Team)	Per Game	Total	Gms	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	3pm
32	Shaquille O'Neal (1997 Lakers)	26.9	242	9	10.6	3.2	0.6	1.9	0.0
33	James Harden (2014 Rockets)	26.8	161	6	4.7	5.8	2.0	0.2	2.7
34	Dominique Wilkins (1987 Hawks)	26.8	241	9	7.8	2.8	1.8	0.9	0.3
35	Moses Malone (1981 Rockets)	26.8	562	21	14.5	1.7	0.6	1.6	0.0
36	Bob Love (1971 Bulls)	26.7	187	7	7.3	1.4	-	-	-
37	Isiah Thomas (1986 Pistons)	26.5	106	4	5.5	12.0	2.3	0.8	0.0
38	Don Ohl (1965 Bullets)	26.1	261	10	6.4	2.7	-	-	-
39	Joe Fulks (1951 Warriors)	26.0	52	2	8.0	0.5	-	-	-
	Chuck Person (1991 Pacers)	26.0	130	5	5.6	3.2	1.0	0.0	3.4

		Points			Other stats
Rk	Player (Team)	Per Game	Total	Gms	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	3pm
41	Elvin Hayes (1973 Bullets)	25.8	129	5	11.4	1.0	-	-	-
42	Giannis Antetokounmpo (2018 Bucks)	25.7	180	7	9.6	6.3	1.4	0.9	0.6
43	Willis Reed (1969 Knicks)	25.7	257	10	14.1	1.9	-	-	-
44	Jayson Tatum (2022 Celtics)	25.6	615	24	6.7	6.2	1.2	0.9	3.2
45	Jeff Malone (1988 Bullets)	25.6	128	5	3.4	2.2	1.0	1.0	0.0
46	Blake Griffin (2015 Clippers)	25.5	357	14	12.7	6.1	1.0	1.0	0.1
	Donovan Mitchell (2022 Jazz)	25.5	153	6	4.3	5.7	0.7	0.5	1.7
48	Lou Hudson (1971 Hawks)	25.4	127	5	7.0	3.0	-	-	-
49	Anthony Edwards (2025 Timberwolves)	25.3	380	15	7.8	5.5	1.1	0.7	3.1
50	Amar'e Stoudemire (2007 Suns)	25.3	253	10	12.1	0.6	1.3	1.9	0.1

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