The NBA’s most unexpected block leader is hiding in Indiana

Jay Huff was never supposed to be the story in Indiana. The Pacers entered the season off their crushing NBA Finals loss. Missing Tyrese Haliburton, and needing Pascal Siakam to hold down the court, but the start to the season has been a disaster.

Huff arrived as a low-risk depth piece, a long center who could stretch the floor and protect the rim in spot minutes. Instead, he has turned into one of the most surprising early season standouts in the league.

Through the first stretch of the season Huff is averaging 2.4 blocks per game, the most in the NBA. That number becomes even more staggering when placed beside his playing time. Huff is doing this in only 18.6 minutes per contest. On a per-36-minute scale he is swatting 4.7 shots, nearly a full block higher than the next closest player. It is the kind of efficiency that rarely appears outside of historical outliers, and it has forced the league to take notice.

denied ❌

Jay Huff is leading the @nba in blocks with 2.4 BPG. pic.twitter.com/Gn7tjqKOI2
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) December 6, 2025

Huff’s timing around the rim has been the core of this leap. He is rarely caught out of position, tracking drivers with patience and forcing them to finish over his 7-foot-1 frame. When he leaves the floor, he stays vertical, turning layups into floaters and floaters into rushed attempts off the glass. He has also been a reliable helper, cleaning up breakdowns and closing out possessions that previously ended in easy points.

His impact has gone beyond the defensive end. Huff is averaging 7.7 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.3 assists, all career highs and all built on simple, efficient offense. He screens, he dives, he finishes, and he spaces just enough to keep the defense honest. The Pacers have been able to keep their offensive rhythm intact even when shifting away from their usual rotations because Huff stays within his role.

I keep coming back to Block Percentage (% of opponent 2-pt attempts blocked while on the court) because it’s insane:

Jay Huff is at 11.6% which would be the highest BLK% ever according to Basketball Reference by a significant margin. https://t.co/zJOB4bVTnR pic.twitter.com/syoOx0LwS1
— iPacers.com (@iPacersblog) November 30, 2025

Every season reveals a few players who force their way into relevance. Huff has become one of those players. He has taken a limited role and maximized it, giving Indiana an unexpected defensive anchor off the bench and providing the kind of production that alters game plans. For a Pacers team trying to find their footing without Tyrese Haliburton, players like Huff have to step up.

When looking at the per-36 minutes, Huff has actually outplayed former Pacer Myles Turner as highlighted below-

Jay Huff | Myles Turner per 36 MIN

15.3 | 15.4 PTS
2.2 | 2.1 AST
7.6 | 7.7 REB
4.7 | 2.1 BLK
0.3 | 1.2 STL
1.6 | 1.4 TOV

$2.5m | $27.1m (+$22.5m Dame dead $) AAV $ pic.twitter.com/HowXW9atWx
— Jay Robins (@TheJayRobins) December 2, 2025

The question now is how sustainable this version of Huff will be. Opponents will adjust, scouting reports will expand, and shots around the rim will come with more caution. But Huff’s length, instincts, and discipline are traits that tend to translate. If he maintains even most of this shot-blocking pace, he will remain one of the most efficient rim protectors in the league.

For now, Indiana has uncovered something valuable. Jay Huff is having a career year, leading the NBA in blocks, and giving the Pacers a defensive boost few expected. And he is doing it without demanding the spotlight, which might be the best part of all.

Time to give Huff some more minutes while the Pacers work back up through the East.