Travis Kelce's net worth, age, stats, salary, height, GIRLFRIEND
NFL
Ranking of the 15 best ISO players in the NBA currently
Ciku Njuguna
updated at April 12, 2023 at 8:08 PM
What is an ISO score in the NBA? ISO players are sometimes referred to as hero basketballers as they take on the opponent's side without help from their teammates. The best ISO players in the NBA reserve exclusive bragging rights and notoriety for their talent.
Source: UGC
So, which players have the most ISO scores and efficiency in the NBA? Dig in here to discover who the king of ISO in the NBA is and their statistics.
What does ISO stand for?
ISO refers to an isolation play strategy in basketball. This team strategy usually takes place near the end of a game during the fourth and final quarter of the game. The best basketballer in a team takes the offensive stance against the opponent's defenders without any screens from his team.
We have used NBA stats for the 2021/22 season to summarise the NBA's best ISO players. So, let us now look at 15 of the best basketballers in isolation.
Exciting feature: Check out news exactly for YOU ➡️ find "Recommended for you" block and enjoy!
Source: Getty Images
NBA 2021-22 regular season
Basketballer | Team | Games | Possession | Points per possession | Frequency |
Luka Doncic | Dallas Mavericks | 65 | 6.3 | 1.11 | 21.4% |
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | Oklahoma City Thunder | 56 | 6.8 | 1.03 | 27.7% |
DeMar DeRozan | Chicago Bulls | 76 | 4.3 | 1.13 | 16.5% |
James Harden | Philadelphia 76ers | 44 | 7.6 | 1.06 | 31.8% |
Pascal Siakam | Toronto Raptors | 68 | 5.4 | 0.90 | 23.6% |
Trae Young | Atlanta Hawks | 76 | 4.4 | 0.98 | 16.2% |
Jayson Tatum | Boston Celtics | 76 | 4.7 | 0.91 | 18.1% |
Kevin Durant | Brooklyn Nets | 55 | 5.2 | 1.10 | 19.5% |
Giannis Antetokounmpo | Milwaukee Bucks | 67 | 4.8 | 0.96 | 17.9% |
Julius Randle | New York Knicks | 72 | 4.9 | 0.86 | 21.0% |
Joel Embiid | Philadelphia 76ers | 68 | 4.4 | 0.95 | 15.9% |
Russell Westbrook | Los Angeles Lakers | 78 | 3.8 | 0.91 | 17.2% |
Anthony Edwards | Minnesota Timberwolves | 72 | 3.9 | 0.91 | 18.1% |
LeBron James | Los Angeles Lakers | 56 | 4.3 | 1.03 | 15.5% |
Karl-Anthony Towns | Minnesota Timberwolves | 74 | 2.7 | 1.13 | 12.5% |
Jim Nantz: Age, net worth, salary, wife, awards, house, career
NFL
NBA 2021-22 playoffs
Source: Getty Images
Basketballer | Team | Games | Possession | Points per possession | Frequency |
Luka Doncic | Dallas Mavericks | 15 | 8.5 | 0.90 | 27.1% |
Giannis Antetokounmpo | Milwaukee Bucks | 12 | 8.4 | 0.86 | 25.4% |
Jayson Tatum | Boston Celtics | 24 | 4.8 | 0.75 | 17.7% |
James Harden | Philadelphia 76ers | 12 | 8.1 | 0.87 | 40.2% |
Jalen Brunson | New York Knicks | 18 | 4.1 | 1.07 | 20.1% |
Spencer Dinwiddie | Dallas Mavericks | 18 | 4.3 | 0.95 | 31.2% |
Stephen Curry | Golden State Warriors | 22 | 2.9 | 1.13 | 11.6% |
Jaylen Brown | Boston Celtics | 24 | 2.7 | 1.03 | 11.7% |
Jimmy Butler | Miami Heat | 17 | 3.0 | 1.04 | 12.7% |
Joel Embiid | Philadelphia 76ers | 10 | 6.0 | 0.87 | 26.0% |
Ja Morant | Memphis Grizzlies | 9 | 3.4 | 1.29 | 12.1% |
Jordan Poole | Golden State Warriors | 22 | 1.5 | 1.15 | 10.1% |
Pascal Siakam | Toronto Raptors | 6 | 3.4 | 1.29 | 27.2% |
Chris Paul | Phoenix Suns | 13 | 1.8 | 1.50 | 11.9% |
Anthony Edwards | Minnesota Timberwolves | 6 | 6.3 | 0.95 | 27.0% |
Freddie Freeman's net worth, stats, contract, house, cars, wife
Baseball
The top 5 best ISO players in the NBA of all time
One of the best ISO players right now is Lakers' point guard, Kyrie Irving. During his time with the Cleveland Cavaliers, he distinguished himself as one of the best isolation scorers. In an interview with The Ringer, his former teammate, LeBron James, said,
"The kid (Kyrie) was born to play one-on-one. You have those great one-on-one players in our league history and he’s up there."
Shaquille O'Neal
Shaq is undoubtedly the most unstoppable basketballer in NBA history. While he had the advantage of size and strength, his talent and scoring skills also gave him an edge against defenders.
Giannis Adentokuonmpo
Is the Greek Freak the best player in the NBA? Not only is he a two-time MVP, but also a top 1-on-1 basketballer who was named the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year in 2020. In addition, with his speed, scoring, and ball handling skills, he has carved out a spot in the top ISO scorers in the 2021-22 NBA season.
Barcelona ranked second most valuable football club in the world despite financial troubles
Football
James Harden
James Harden, the reigning king of isolation, comes in at third position. So, is Harden the best ISO player ever? According to NBA's isolation stats, Harden has dominated the lists of top isolation scorers in the league for the seventh season in a row.
Kobe Bryant
Was Kobe efficient as an isolation player? Critics would disagree, but at his peak, Kobe's ISO scores averaged 30 - 40%.
In an interview with The Athletic, another all-time top isolation scorer, Kevin Durant, remarked that he studied and learned his skills from watching Kobe. He said,
"Kobe, MJ (Michael Jordan) and Kyrie. Just the way they move, especially Jordan and Kobe."
Source: Getty Images
So, who is the best ISO player in the history of the NBA? Jordan was also an ISO player and dominated the court whenever he took on the opponent's defense. In addition, since his exit, no other basketballer has scored anything close to his 37.1% points per game.
Colleen Wolfe: height, husband, Instagram, age, contract, photos
NFL
Who has the most ISO plays in the NBA?
Who has the most ISO points in the NBA? Undoubtedly, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had the most career points (38,887) and the most points scored in isolation per possession (15621.2 possessions). Currently, Harden ranks higher than Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Kevin Durant, and Giannis Antetokuonmpo with the most isolation plays in the NBA.
Source: Getty Images
Here is a summary of James Harden's stats, according to an NBA analysis of the highest ISO scores. 8.3% points per game for isolation and an average of 1.11 points per ISO possession.
The best ISO players in the NBA by position
Basketballer | Position |
Steph Curry | Point guard |
Chris Paul | Point guard |
Damian Lillard | Point guard |
James Harden | Shooting guard |
Lou Williams | Shooting guard |
DeMar DeRozan | Shooting guard |
Kevin Durant | Small forward |
LeBron James | Small forward |
Jimmy Butler | Small forward |
Blake Griffin | Power forward |
Giannis Antetokounmpo | Power forward |
Nikola Jokic | Center |
Martin Dúbravka’s girlfriend, age, height, position, salary, new contract
Football
Each team prides itself on having some of the best ISO players in the NBA. Not only does the team showcase individual basketballer talents, but they entertain fans with unbelievable moves such as Kobe Bryant's signature moves.
READ ALSO: Ranking the top 20 players with the most points in an NBA game
Recently, Sportsbrief published an article about all the unbeatable NBA legends with the most points. The article covers the top 20 NBA basketballers with over 60 points. Read on to discover their teams, individual scores, and positions.
Click on the link above to discover more.
Trending news
