Top 5 NBA Finals Outliers That’ll Make You Rethink Everything

Wait, Stats Can Lie—But These Don’t

You know how everyone obsesses over the big names in the Finals? LeBron, Steph, Jokic—yeah, they’re amazing. But here’s the thing: the real game-changers? They’re often hiding in the stats nobody talks about. Seriously. I’ve been crunching numbers all week, and some of these outliers are straight-up wild. Let’s dive in.

1. That One Guy Scoring Like It’s 2K on Rookie Mode

Dude’s Averaging 40? Seriously?
So there’s this player—won’t name names yet—dropping nearly 40 a game. That’s Jordan territory. But here’s what’s crazy: they’re doing it on fewer shots than MJ did in ’93. Defenses are scrambling, and honestly? It’s kinda beautiful to watch.

And Then There’s This Random Bench Guy
Get this: some role player you’ve barely heard of is hitting 50% from three. Meanwhile, the team’s “star shooter” is sitting at like 34%. In a series where games are decided by a couple possessions? That’s the difference between champagne and heartbreak.

2. Steals That Feel Like Straight-Up Burglary

A Center Leading in Steals? What Year Is This?
Yeah, you read that right. A center is snatching more steals than the quickest guards. How? They’re reading passes like a psychic—disrupting everything. Opponents end up taking garbage shots with 2 seconds left. And we all know how those usually go.

Here’s Why Steals Win Championships
Game 3 was insane. Back-to-back steals, two dunks, crowd loses it—momentum flipped instantly. Stats say teams winning the steals battle take the Finals 72% of the time. This year? Same story. Coaches should be showing tape of this on loop.

3. Rebounding: The Glamorous Stats’ Ugly Cousin

Offensive Boards = Free Points (And Broken Spirits)
One team’s getting 14 second-chance points a game off rebounds. That’s their entire margin of victory right there. Let that sink in. Giving up extra shots in the Finals? That’s like handing your opponent free lottery tickets.

The 6’5″ Guard Outrebounding Bigs
There’s this guard—kinda undersized—grabbing more boards than guys half a foot taller. Hustle plays, tipped balls, pure will. Every time they do it? You can see the other team deflate. Rebounding isn’t sexy, but man, it wins games.

4. Passing That Would Make Picasso Jealous

This PG’s Assist-to-Turnover Ratio Is Absurd
5:1. Five assists for every turnover. That’s not just good—that’s “how is this human?” territory. Double teams? Doesn’t matter. They’re slicing defenses like a hot knife through butter.

25+ Assists = Undefeated
Simple math: team hits 25 assists? They win. Every. Single. Time. Hero ball might get highlights, but ball movement gets rings. Always has, always will.

5. The Bench Mob Stealing the Spotlight

Some Bench Guy Outscoring Starters
There’s a reserve dropping 18 a game—more than two starters. And it’s not fluky. They come in, get buckets, keep the ship steady. Without them? Stars wouldn’t get any rest. That’s value you can’t fake.

+12 When They’re On the Floor
This bench unit’s net rating is +12. Translation: when they play, the other team might as well start planning their vacation. Games swing hard in those minutes, and they’re usually the reason.

So What’s It All Mean?

Look, superstars will get the headlines. But these stats? They’re the real story. A steal here, an offensive board there—that’s what decides championships. Who’s your pick for unsung hero? Hit the comments. And don’t be shocked when one of these outliers becomes the thing everyone’s talking about next week.

Source: ESPN – News