Day One at the D-League Showcase

Dakari was great Wednesday.

Dakari Johnson stood out as the most efficient player (over 24 mins. played) on a winning team during the opening day of action (Wednesday January 6, 2016) at the NBA D-League Showcase. Johnson and the Oklahoma City Blue defeated the Delaware 87ers 119-114. Johnson, a 20 year-old, seven-footer, from Kentucky had 18 points (8-9 FG, 2-4 FT), seven rebounds, and six assists (with zero turnovers) in 27 minutes. 

We made a 12-man roster out of the best performers from day one as a way to highlight their exceptional exploits at the Showcase. Click on their name to see highlights (if available). 

Hoop Obsession Starting Five for Wednesday, January 6, 2016

• Tu Holloway - Texas (seven assists and no turnovers in 34 minutes)
• Sean Kilpatrick - Delaware (35 points in 37 mins.)
• Josh Huestis - Oklahoma City (20 points, two blocked shots)
• Nick Minnerath - Canton (24 points, 3-5 3-pt)
• Dakari Johnson - Oklahoma City

Reserves:

• Marquis Teague - Oklahoma City 
• John Holland - Canton 
• David Laury - Delaware
• Cristiano Felicio - Canton
• Joel Wright - Iowa
• Rick Jackson - Delaware
• Jimmer Fredette - Westchester

2014-15 All Defensive Team

Tony Allen is a lock-down defender. 

We close out the 2014-15 NBA regular season awards with the All-Defensive Team. Using a combination of the Defensive Rating (the number of points per 100 possessions that the team allows while that individual player is on the court), and our own read on players, we came up with these: 

2014-15 All NBA Defensive First Team: John Wall - Washington, Tony Allen - Memphis, Kawhi Leonard - San Antonio,  Draymond Green - Golden State, Marcin Gortat - Washington. 

ALL NBA Defensive Second Team: Stephen Curry - Golden State, Andre Iguodala - Golden State, Khris Middleton - Milwaukee, Tim Duncan - San Antonio, Rudy Gobert - Utah.

Positional size in the NBA.

"Positional size" is often talked about by scouts, coaches, and media members. But what should we all be referring to exactly? As we have done in the past, we decided to update our look at the average height and weight at each position in the NBA. We used the 16 NBA Playoff teams from 2014 as our basis. NBA.com posts the five-man lineups that were used the most by any NBA team. We used those five-man lineups from the regular season for this audit. (see the chart here) ...It is worth noting that we used the NBA listed height and weight for each player. Some of the NBA.com listings seem dated. We doubt Marc Gasol is only 265 lbs. However, most of the listed measurements are close enough that for the purpose of this study it will have to do. 

The findings

If there is one fundamental basketball philosophy we believe in, it is that you need to be efficient at the power forward position. In these days of "stretch four" madness too many teams are losing overall efficiency, mostly on rebounding and on defense (reflected in poor DEFRTG) by having a "softer" four-man who can shoot face up jumpers and stretch the floor. Certainly on offense it is beneficial to create wide spaces for players to drive the ball or operate without a crowd. But seemingly lost too often in the hurry to find a power forward that can shoot (a "stretch four") is the physical presence, toughness, and rebounding ability that a "beast-four" brings to a team. 

With all the above said, we were very curious to see the results of the average height and weight of NBA Playoffs power forwards. The average size is 6'9" 245 lbs. David Lee is 6'9" 240 and David West is 6'9" 250, representing the closest to the average. The tallest PF is Dirk Nowitzki at 7'0". The shortest was Paul Pierce at 6'7". 

So how many of the 16 NBA Playoffs power forwards could be called "stretch fours"? We would say seven at maximum (Dirk, Pierce, Ibaka, McRoberts, LeBron, Terrence Jones, and Paul Millsap.) Among those seven, five are efficient relevant to the position. LeBron is LeBron. Dirk is an elite level scorer. Millsap has always been able to crash the boards. Ibaka is a great defender that blocks shots and is physical. Terrence Jones can play inside-out and he rebounds at a high-rate. 

McBob not efficient enough as PF

Conversely, Josh McRoberts and Paul Pierce, who are fine as small forwards, from an efficiency standpoint, really cost a team's overall efficiency when played at power forward in "stretch" mode. The other nine (more than half of the 16) NBA Playoffs PF's who you would not call "stretch fours" are an impressive group of players: Tim Duncan, Blake Griffin, Zach Randolph, David West, David Lee, Carlos Boozer, LeMarcus Aldridge (he only shot 20% 3-pt FG in 2013-14), Amir Johnson, and Trevor Booker. 

So to recap, the power forward landscape as it stands among NBA Playoffs teams shows over half the NBA still plays in the "traditional" way. Among those seven teams who play a "stretch four", five have players who rebound, score or block shots well enough to be efficient. That leaves two teams, Brooklyn and Charlotte as the torchbearers for "success" playing with shooters at the four-spot who do not rebound at a high enough rate. Brooklyn won 44 games, Charlotte won 43. If a winning percentage between .520 and .540 is viewed as success in the NBA, by all means play the "strecth four" game at any cost. (That was sarcasm.) 

If you want to REALLY win, make sure your power forward is efficient first, then worry about the "stretch". (See our list of power-forward efficiency per-minute here.)

The average height of a NBA Playoffs lead point guard is 6'2", 189 lbs. The player that most closely fits that body type description is Mario Chalmers at 6'2" 190 lbs. The tallest PG in the study was Shaun Livingston at 6'7". The shortest was Chris Paul at 6'0". 

Shooting guards on average are 6'5" 211 lbs. Again, this is for NBA Playoffs teams only, looking at the five-man lineups that played the most total minutes in the regular season. Two players come very close to 6'5" 211. Bradley Beal is 6'5" 207 lbs., and Gerald Henderson is 6'5" 215 lbs. Outside the norm we find five guys that are listed at 6'7", comprising the tallest shooting guards among Playoffs teams. Those five are: Kyle Korver, Jimmy Butler, Klay Thompson, Thabo Sefolosha, and DeMar DeRozan. The shortest SG in the study was Darren Collison (6'0") who played alongside Chris Paul on the Clippers most used five-man lineup.

In our three separate NBA average height and weight studies we've done over the years it is obvious that the small forward position is getting bigger. The average SF is now is 6'8" 221 lbs. The players closest to that body description are Trevor Ariza and Shane Battier, both listed at 6'8" 220. Five players check in at 6'9" as the tallest SF's in the study (Mike Dunleavy Jr., Chandler Parsons, Paul George, Tayshaun Prince, and Kevin Durant). The shortest small forwards were Andre Iguodala, and Terrence Ross at 6'6". 

Finally, we found that the average Center size was 6'11" 254 lbs. Samuel Dalembert is listed at 6'11" 250 lbs, coming closest to the average measurement. The tallest in the study was Roy Hibbert at 7'2", while the shortest were the trio of 6'10" guys: Al Horford, Kendrick Perkins, and Al Jefferson. 

Let's judge the Draft! The 2009 Draft, that is.

Steph over Griffin? Debatable. 

I despise the media habit of giving grades the day after the NBA Draft. The truth is, we do not, and will not, know how the 2014 NBA Draft will play out until it actually plays out. What we CAN do is look back at the 2009 NBA Draft and make some judgements about it. 

As a disclaimer, yes, I understand that a ranking of ANYTHING, let alone NBA players, is subjective. You may not agree with how we re-rank the 2009 Draft. (I can't sleep so I thought a look back at who should have been in the top 15 might be fun.) 

As it stands, five NBA All-Stars were among the 60 selected in 2009. Ten players taken never suited up for a single NBA game. The highest pick no longer in the NBA in Jonny Flynn who was selected sixth by Minnesota. 

The re-draft begins... 

1. Stephen Curry. ...Steph was picked seventh in 2009. The first pick in that Draft was Blake Griffin. You could certainly argue in favor of Kia's Griffin Force leader but we would go with Steph Curry if given a chance to do it over. Curry is an All-Star beloved by fans. He made 2nd team All-NBA in 2013-14. 

2. Blake Griffin. ...Griffin was also 2nd team All-NBA in 2013-14. The second pick in 2009 regretfully was Hasheem Thabeet. Thabeet, five years later, has trouble getting into an NBA game. 

3. James Harden. ...Harden was first team All-NBA in 2013-14. You could make a case for any order of Curry, Griffin and Harden. Those three were head and shoulders the best of the 2009 class. Harden did go third in 2009. 

4. Demar DeRozan. ...Things get really subjective in the next handful of picks. DeRozan cracked the NBA All-Star level in 2013-14 so he gets the nod here at four. DeRozan was taken ninth in 2009. The fourth pick in `09 turned out to the Rookie of the Year, Tyreke Evans. 

Jrue, when not hurt, can ball. 

5. Jrue Holiday. ...The last of the 2009 draftees to make an All-Star team is Jrue Holiday. He slid all the way to 17th in 2009. The fifth pick was Ricky Rubio. 

6. Ty Lawson. ...Lawson went right after Holiday in 2009 as the 18th pick to, "point guard stocking," Minnesota. He was traded to Denver. As mentioned above, the sixth pick in 2009 was Jonny Flynn. 

7. Tyreke Evans. ...Five years after the fact, you could go many different ways with the seventh pick. Evans continues to be wildly inconsistent but when he's "on" he can still do things others simply cannot. 

8. Jeff Teague. ...Teague is a solid NBA starter. He was picked 19th in what turned out to be a really good crop of guards from one single draft. The eighth pick in `09 was Jordan Hill. 

9. Taj Gibson. ...I reach for Taj Gibson with the ninth pick after considering at least three other players. Taj has served his time as backup in the NBA. He is ready to be a full-time starter now. In 2009 Gibson went 26th. 

10. Patty Mills. ...There are players with more hype and more total production on the board but Mills is ascending quickly. In his fifth year he "got it", lost weight, and helped the Spurs win an NBA Championship. Like Taj Gibson, Mills is now ready to be a starter in the league. 

11. Darren Collison. ...Another example of the depth of point guards in 2009. Collison went 21st. The eleventh pick in `09 was Terrence Williams. Williams was last seen being waived by a team in Puerto Rico after a stint in the D-League. 

12. Ricky Rubio. ...One could argue for Rubio to be picked higher. In 2009 the 12th selection was Gerald Henderson. 

13. Jordan Hill. ...Like others in the 2009 Draft, Hill may still be getting better. In limited chances for the Lakers in 2013-14, Hill was very productive on a per-minute basis. The 13th pick in `09 was Tyler Hansbrough. 

14. Brandon Jennings. ...I would expect some push-back on having Jennings rated this low. He has been a productive player in the NBA. The feeling here is that he is still seemingly looking out for himself more often than he is looking out for the team. In 2009 the 14th pick was Earl Clark. 

15. Danny Green. ...Green was selected 46th. In hindsight, this was one of the best value picks of the 2009 NBA Draft. The 15th pick in `09 was Austin Daye. 

...The next eight picks should have been... DaJuan Blair, Wesley Matthews (he was not drafted at all!), DeMarre Carroll, Gerald Henderson, Patrick Beverley, Jodie Meeks, Omri Casspi, and Nando De Colo. 

Halfway. Power forwards. Notes from NBA stat audit

Every year after each team has played their 41st game of the NBA season, I do a statistical audit of the players in the league, looking specifically at efficiency per-minute. I analyze each player that has logged at least 300 minutes, plus a select few players of note. Here are some tidbits I found interesting about the current NBA landscape at power-forward...

Power Forwards

Love is #1, Aldridge #3 in PF efficiency.  

The highest rated power forward is Kevin Love at .825. The battle for the runner-up spot in efficiency per minute is a tight one right now. Anthony Davis is fractions ahead of LeMarcus Aldridge, while Blake Griffin ranks solidly in fourth.  ...The crop of efficient power-forwards is deep. Unlike the small forward position, the "four-spot" in the NBA is crowded with players who statistically are not THAT much different from one another. 

We are about to get into some math here - so hang with me... 

The difference, in efficiency points, from the top player at point guard to the 30th rated player at point guard is .335. The same math at small forward produces a result of .454. Meanwhile, the difference, in efficiency points, from the top player at power forward to the 30th rated player at power forward is .299. This means that the range from best, to "30th best", is not as wide at power forward as it is as point guard or small forward. (In case you wondered, the smallest gap is at shooting guard. #1. Dwyane Wade .597 to #30 Eric Gordon .402 = a difference of .195.)

Jordan Hill needs minutes!

Give them some more minutes!

Who are the players who rate in the top 30 at power forward but do not (yet) play heavy minutes? There are 16 players who have yet to have a chance to shine with consistency. 

• Jordan Hill - Lakers. .657 (ranks 4th) ...He gets spotty, inconsistent minutes from Mike D'Antoni but Hill produces more often than not. 
• Brandan Wright - Mavs .652 (ranks 7th) ...He is seemingly always hurt. If he could stay healthy and have a coach trust him, Wright is capable of producing. 
• John Henson - Bucks .629 (ranks 9th) ...Henson has had his share of starts but he still doesn't play heavy minutes with consistency. That happens when you play on a bad team. 
• Kris Humphries - Celtics .625 (ranks 11th) ...Humphries too has had a handful of starts in Boston but enough to establish a real groove. 
• DaJuan Blair - Mavs .613 (ranks 12th) ...Blair may not be able to play heavy minutes due to his knees. 
• Kenneth Faried - Nuggets .609 (ranks 13th) ...One of the real travesties of the 2013-14 NBA season is Faried only averaging 24 minutes per game. 
• James Johnson - Grizzlies .577 (ranks 15th) ...If Johnson could shoot the long-ball better, I'd call him a small forward. But he can't. The 2014 James Johnson is more physically fit, and more efficient. Can he maintain this and get a contract for the future? Stay tuned. 
• Markieff Morris - Suns .574 (ranks 16th) ...Markieff plays. But he doesn't get to play enough in our opinion. 
• Michael Beasley - Heat .553 (ranks 20th) ...Nobody ever questioned his talent. He is in good condition presently. It's great for Miami to get 16 minutes per game off the bench at this efficiency level (similar to how Chris Andersen does it for them at Center). 

  

  Evans is long and quick!

• Jeremy Evans - Jazz .549 (ranks 21st) ...Evans is still trying to bulk up. It might be time for a team to give this kid a chance to play meaningful minutes. His ability to 'quick-jump' is elite. He could be a shot-blocking presence in the future. 
• Jon Leuer - Grizzlies .547 (ranks 22nd) ...Leuer is a skilled BIG but he has trouble as a defender with quicker FOURs
• Thomas Robinson - Blazers .546 (ranks 23rd) ...Robinson will most likely never be a player that a team runs any plays for. He is an elite NBA athlete, and his activity level, and rebounding prowess may earn him more minutes. It is worth remembering that Robinson is just 22 years old. 
• Elton Brand - Hawks .541 (ranks 24th) ...In the absence of Al Horford, Atlanta has juggled their lineups and Elton Brand is proving he can still hold his own. 
• Trevor Booker - Wizards .540 (ranks 25th) ...Booker is just 26 years old and he still has upside. He is strong willed, and "no nonsense". 
• Ed Davis - Grizzlies .539 (ranks 26th) ...Ed Davis is still a prospect that may, one day, play BIG minutes in the NBA. He needs to gain weight. 
• Mike Scott - Hawks .531 (ranks 29th) ...Scott is small to be a power forward but he has shown that he can be relatively efficient. 

Thompson gets rejected

Do they play too much? 

The list of power forwards who play heavy minutes, yet are outside of the top 30 in efficiency at the position: David West (31st), Carlos Boozer (32nd), Ryan Anderson (36th), Tristan Thompson (45th), Josh McRoberts (51st), Glen Davis (52nd), and Jason Thompson (55th). ...David West is a premier defender at his position, and a tough-guy that we have no problem with. Boozer's efficiency has slowly slipped the last couple of seasons. We're keeping an eye on it. ...Ryan Anderson can really shoot and his overall efficiency would be nice as a small forward. As a Power Forward, where the landscape is filled more tightly with efficient players, he is just 36th (or a top-tier reserve player). ...Tristan Thompson simply has never been very efficient. Right handed or left handed, Tristan Thompson hovers around the same "mid-tier backup" efficiency. ...McRoberts simply gets out-muscled as a power forward. ...Glen Davis doesn't rebound well enough. 

What about the Kings? 

Sacramento Kings power forwards do not rate well vs. the rest of the NBA's FOURs. Quincy Acy is ranked 54th, and Jason Thompson is 55th. 

Derrick Williams is 67th. As a Small forward, Williams would rank 35th with a .381 EFR. With improved three point shooting, and better care of the basketball, Williams may indeed, one-day, be looked upon as a legitimate Small Forward. So far, he has not achieved that status in our book. (This is a topic that requires more writing than I am willing to do right at this moment. It's about CONSISTENTLY being able to stretch a defense with reliable, accurate deep shooting. And it's about your small forward being the "second point guard" and having the skill and patience to make plays for others with CONSISTENCY. Derrick Williams continues to turn it over more than he assists it, and he is shooting 27% from beyond the arc.)

Rookies 

The highest rated rookie power forward is Kelly Olynyk. He rates 50th out of 76 PF's we examined. A 50th rating at any position equates to a "low-tier backup" ideally. 

Read Point Guards
Read Shooting Guards
Read Small Forwards
Read Centers

Halfway. Shooting Guards. Notes from NBA Stat Audit

Every year after each team has played their 41st game of the NBA season, I do a statistical audit of the players in the league, looking specifically at efficiency per-minute. I analyze each player that has logged at least 300 minutes, plus a select few others that are of note. Here is a quick synopsis of what I learned, about shooting guards...

MJ - the perfect two-guard.

Shooting Guards: 

The usual suspects are atop the shooting guard, per-minute efficiency rankings. The numbers at the top, historically speaking, are very low. Almost always, there is a two-guard with an efficiency rating over .600. But this season, at the halfway point of the season, there is not a single player that can boast that. The best, still, is the World Champion Miami Heat's Dwyane Wade at .597. He is followed by the Western Conference Champion Spurs' Manu Ginobili at .591. Hmm... So an efficient two-guard is a key winning in the NBA? Word to Michael Jordan it is. 

Ranked third is James Harden at .586. Harden and the Houston Rockets are 25-15 in games he's played in this season. Fourth best is the currently injured Eric Bledsoe at .564. The Phoenix Suns are 16-8 in games where Bledsoe plays. 

In theory, those ranked in the top 30 are worthy of being NBA starters. Who ranks in the top 30 league-wide but is not (yet) a regular starter or 'heavy minutes' player? There are three: Jordan Hamilton, Jimmer Fredette, and Jeremy Lamb. 

The Lambinator!

Jordan Hamilton in Denver, again, rates high (14th) but his defensive liabilities have kept him from gaining favor with Nuggets coach Brian Shaw or George Karl before that. Jimmer Fredette plays backup point guard in Sacramento. Clearly, he is being mis-labeled. Fredette's assist-to-turnover ratio ranks 196th of 452 players in the NBA. (His teammate Quincy Acy has a better assist-to-turnover ratio). As a shooting guard, Fredette's efficiency rating of .447 would rank him tied for 17th at the position. Like Hamilton, Fredette's defense is beyond sketchy. Jimmer ranks 407th of 452 in "defensive rating". ...Lamb, ranked 22nd, is the most likely player to be a full fledged NBA starter among Hamilton and Fredette. 

Who is an NBA starter at shooting guard that ranks outside the top 30? Joe Johnson (31st), Gerald Henderson (33rd), Klay Thompson (34th), Randy Foye (38th), Jodie Meeks (40th), James Anderson (41st), Dion Waiters (49th), Jimmy Butler (50th), J.R. Smith (51st), Thabo Sefolosha (57th), and Marcus Thornton (59th). Among those eleven players, only three play on winning teams (Klay, Foye, and Thabo). 

The highest rated rookie at the position is Victor Oladipo. The Magic's new guy ranks 25th. ...Sacramento's Ben McLemore ranks 66th of 74. Any player outside outside the top 60 at any NBA position is a guy that probably should not be playing meaningful minutes; at least not on a team serious about winning as many games as possible. 

Read about point guards here.

Halfway. Point Guards. Notes from the NBA statistical audit

Every year after each team has played their 41st game of the NBA season, I do a statistical audit of the players in the league, looking specifically at efficiency per-minute. I analyze each player that has logged at least 300 minutes, plus a select few others that are of note. Here is a quick synopsis of what I learned, starting with point guards...

CP3 has the power

Point Guards: 

Chris Paul, as expected, is the highest ranked. It's not close. He is followed by the trio of Stephen Curry, Russell Westbrook, and John Wall. ...Isaiah Thomas ranks fifth in the NBA, well ahead of more ballyhooed ballers like Brandon Jennings (26th), and Jeremy Lin (38th). 

There are 30 teams in the NBA and each has a starting point guard. Who ranks in the top 30 league-wide but is not (yet) a regular starter? There are three: Patty Mills (San Antonio), Shelvin Mack (Atlanta), and Nate Robinson (Denver). 

Who is a regular NBA starter but not ranked in the top 30? There are five: Jose Calderon (32nd), Trey Burke (35th), George Hill (43rd), Raymond Felton (54th), Patrick Beverley (55th). The fact that Indiana, the best team in the league presently, has a starting point guard rated this low, raises a red flag for me. In the Playoffs, can the Pacers, who do not have a Lebron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh talent combo, really win a championship without a dynamic point guard? I'm not sure. Having Lance Stephenson alongside Hill helps because Lance can create his shot off the dribble... but let's mark down point guard efficiency as a potential trouble spot for Indiana. 

Ray Felton has been inefficient for multiple seasons in the NBA. He is past his expiration date. The Knicks would be wise to quit messing around with Felton, Beno Udrih (46th), and Pablo Prigioni (45th). None of those guys are getting any better. And none of those guys are good enough to lead the Knicks to a Playoff series win. 

And finally, how about Kendall Marshall? Called up from the D-League after having been left for dead, Marshall ranks 25th, which rates him out as a low-tier starter in the NBA at age 22. 

LINKS to analysis of other positions: 
Read Shooting Guards
Read Small Forwards
Read Power Forwards
Read Centers

Latest NBA Stat Audit

Data informed. That's how we roll.

Our latest NBA stat audit is complete. We look closely at per-minute efficiency twice a month. In an effort to share more with you - we will simply list on this blog what would normally be 'chicken scratched' onto a blank piece of computer printer paper.

Point Guards: Chris Paul .778, Stephen Curry .634, Russell Westbrook .626, Isaiah Thomas .580, Michael Carter-Williams .559, John Wall .555,  Ty Lawson .554, Damian Lillard .543, Kyle Lowry .543, Tony Parker .542, Goran Dragic .536, Mike Conley Jr. .526, Jrue Holiday .522, Kyrie Irving .520, Darren Collison .504, Kendall Marshall .504, Ricky Rubio .502, Deron Williams .501, Reggie Jackson .495, Jordan Farmar .495, Jeff Teague .479, Kemba Walker .471, Brandon Jennings .453.

Shooting Guards: Dwyane Wade .616, Manu Ginobili .604, James Harden .578, Eric Bledsoe .564, Tyreke Evans .542, Monta Ellis .495, Arron Afflalo .495, J.J. Redick .490, Lance Stephenson .489, Wesley Matthews .482, C.J. McCollum .481, Jimmer Fredette .477, Marco Belinelli .476, Kevin Martin .466, Evan Turner .465, Jordan Crawford .462,  Jeremy Lamb .452, Tony Allen .437

Durant ranks second to Love overall

Small Forwards: Kevin Durant .830, LeBron James .783, Carmelo Anthony .635, Paul George .603, Kawhi Leonard .530, Nicolas Batum .522, Rudy Gay .504, Luol Deng .494, Chandler Parsons .493, Gordon Hayward .487, Al Farouq Aminu .480, Trevor Ariza .470, Andre Iguodala .469, Marcus Morris .465, Jordan Hamilton .459, Josh Smith .456, DeMar DeRozan .455, C.J. Miles .445,

Power Forwards: Kevin Love .833, Anthony Davis .738, LeMarcus Aldridge .701, Blake Griffin .698, Al Horford .685, Jordan Hill .679, Dirk Nowitzki .674, Brandan Wright .656, David Lee .646, Kris Humphries .634, Kenneth Faried .624, John Henson .619, Paul Millsap .610, DaJuan Blair .609, Serge Ibaka .592, J.J. Hickson .576, Zach Randolph .567, Terrence Jones .559, Jeremy Evans .558, Thaddeus Young .554, Andray Blatche .551, James Johnson .550, Miles Plumlee .546, Michael Beasley .543, Ed Davis .541, Jared Sullinger .540, Mike Scott .539, Thomas Robinson .536, David West .531.

Centers: DeMarcus Cousins .810, Tim Duncan .697, Dwight Howard .675, Brook Lopez .675, Andre Drummond .659, Andrew Bogut .649, Pau Gasol .621, Spencer Hawes .620, Nikola Vucevic .619, Nikola Pekovic .605, Joakim Noah .602, DeAndre Jordan .601, Al Jefferson .600, Timofey Mosgov .594, Marc Gasol .587, Chris Bosh .573, Anderson Varejao .573, Chris Kamen .573, Derrick Favors .568, Tiago Splitter .562, Samuel Dalembert .551, Kosta Koufos .549, Roy Hibbert .542, Greg Monroe .536, Marcin Gortat .531.

Rookies: Carter-Williams .559, Steven Adams .489, McCollum .481, Mason Plumlee .468, Rudy Gobert .448, Vitor Faverani .437, Alex Len .426, Giannis Antetokounmpo .425, Trey Burke .419, Kelly Olynyk .417, Victor Oladipo .399, Tim Hardaway Jr. .371, Cody Zeller .369, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope .274, Archie Goodwin .256, Tony Snell .250, Shane Larkin .248, Ben McLemore .247, Ray McCallum .227, Dennis Schroeder .222, Otto Porter Jr. .211, Anthony Bennett .165, Shabazz Muhammad .098.

Time for me to overreact

JT and T-Rob are not small forwards

Yesterday I blogged about the tendency for media to overreact at this time of the NBA calendar. There are no scores to report, or real games to cover - so every nuance is accentuated and exaggerated. That written, it is time for me to overreact to a small bit of Twitter information I read today from Jason Jones who covers the Sacramento Kings for the Sacramento Bee. Jones tweeted, "At #nbakings practice. Lineups are interesting. One had JT, Robinson and Cuz up front. Smart plans to experiment with matchups in preseason". 

This sounds like an experiment that will not work. There is no way that Jason Thompson can effectively play small forward in the NBA. So why experiment with it? Robinson, the Kings draft pick from Kansas, can guard opposing "threes" but offensively - Robinson is not a good enough deep shooter, ball-handler, or play-maker. Robinson did make 7 of his 14 three point attempts last season at Kansas - so I do not want to write him off as a potential perimeter threat. But Robinson historically has more turnovers than assists, and his 68% free throw shooting - to me is a better indication of his true shooting touch. In short, I don't think Robinson is small forward.  

Jason Thompson has no small forward in his game at all. Zero. His feet are too heavy to guard opposing SF's and offensively - Thompson lacks all skills needed in a SF. 

If you were really reaching you could say - Cousins, given his three-point shooting ability, could act as a perimeter player in certain offensive sets - moving J.T. to center, and keeping Robinson at power forward. But if you did that - you are taking your best rebounder and moving him 20-plus feet from the hoop. 

So I do not get it. Why waste valuable repetitions in practice with a lineup that will always prevent you from presenting your best spacing? Why waste time with a lineup that will allow teams to simply "pack the paint" against you - given Thompson and Robinson's lack of perimeter shooting? Is it because you are just not familiar enough with Robinson's game? Is it a "someone said I couldn't play this lineup" - pride kind of thing? 

Day seven - Las Vegas Summer League

Karl: most efficient in day seven.

Coby Karl was the lone player to post an efficiency rating over 1.000 in day seven of the 2012 NBA Las Vegas Summer League. Karl went crazy from beyond the arc - hitting six of his seven three-point shots on the way to 18 points, four rebounds, two assists in 22 minutes. Not coincindentally - his team (Minnesota) won 78-65 over the summer Cavaliers. 


Our day-seven All-Las Vegas Summer League Team: PG: Damian Lillard .843, Kemba Walker .735. SG: Coby Karl 1.045, Elijah Millsap .652. SF: Jordan Hamilton .694, Adam Morrison .593. PF: Othello Hunter .800, Chris Wright .785, Samardo Samuels .700. C: Meyers Leonard .846, Bismack Biyombo .826, Tristan Thompson .700.

Is Carmelo Anthony REALLY the best scorer in the NBA?

Kobe doesn't know what Barkley is saying. 

Charles Barkley says many things with confidence. And since TNT television is THE mouthpiece for the NBA - many fans repeat what Charles says whether his opinion is based in fact or not. Repeatedly - Barkley has maintained that Carmelo Anthony is the "best scorer in the NBA". 


I wondered if that could be proven statistically. The easy way? Look up the NBA, scoring per-minute totals for the 2011-12 season. 


According to HoopStats.com - the best scorer in the NBA is Kobe Bryant, who would average 34.9 points per game if he played all 48 minutes. Bryant is followed by LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Kevin Love (wow! really?), Russell Westbrook, Dwyane Wade, and - then finally - in seventh, we find Carmelo Anthony.

Father Time and the NBA

Camby, born in 1974. 

I recently took the time to look at the year of birth of the top 15 players at each NBA position (based on the Efficiency Rating). The hope was that I would see a trend or glean some sort of crucial insight to when players are ascending, peaking, and descending. The 75-man pool of players (5 positions x  top 15 players) had a range of 16 years, from the 1989 born Michael Beasley, Blake Griffin, Tyreke Evans, and James Harden - to the 1974 born Steve Nash and Marcus Camby.

Because the range was 16 years - I thought it would be convenient to group all the players into four categories: 1989-1986 born players ("freshmen"), 1985-1982 born players ("sophomores"), 1981-1978 born players ("juniors"), and 1977-1974 born players ("seniors").

Griffin, born in 1989

"Freshmen"

•  Blake Griffin  Clippers 1989 
•  Michael Beasley Wolves 1989 
•  James Harden Thunder 1989 
•  Tyreke Evans Kings 1989 
•  Kevin Love Wolves 1988 
•  Russell Westbrook Thunder 1988 
•  Kevin Durant  Thunder 1988 
•  Derrick Rose Bulls 1988 
•  Stephen Curry Warriors 1988 
•  JaVale McGee Wizards 1988 
•  Thaddeus Young Sixers 1988 
•  Eric Gordon Clippers 1988 
•  Landry Fields Knicks 1988 
•  Andrew Bynum Lakers 1987 
•  Marreese Speights Sixers 1987
•  Ty Lawson Nuggets 1987 
•  Marcus Thornton  Kings 1987 
•  Al Horford Hawks 1986 
•  Roy Hibbert Pacers 1986 
•  Ramon Sessions Cavs 1986 
•  Rajon Rondo Celtics 1986 
•  Rudy Gay  Grizzlies 1986 
•  Reggie Williams Warriors 1986 

"Sophomores" 

•  Dwight Howard Magic 1985 
•  Chris Paul Hornets 1985 
•  Al Jefferson Jazz 1985 
•  Joakim Noah Bulls 1985 
•  Paul Millsap Jazz 1985 
•  Josh Smith  Hawks 1985 
•  LeMarcus Aldridge Blazers 1985 
•  Monta Ellis  Warriors 1985 
•  J.R. Smith Nuggets 1985 
•  Lebron James Heat 1984 
•  Carmelo Anthony Knicks 1984 
•  Marcin Gortat Suns 1984 
•  Deron Williams Nets  1984 
•  Andrew Bogut Bucks 1984 
•  Andre Iguodala  Sixers 1984 
•  Raymond Felton Blazers 1984 
•  David Lee Warriors 1983 
•  Kevin Martin Rockets 1983 
•  Danny Granger  Pacers 1983 
•  Amar'e Stoudemire Knicks 1982 
•  Dwyane Wade  Heat 1982 
•  Nene  Nuggets 1982 
•  Tyson Chandler  Mavs 1982 
•  Tony Parker Spurs 1982 
•  Tony Allen Grizzlies 1982 
•  Gerald Wallace Blazers 1982 

"Juniors" 

•  Zach Randolph  Grizzlies 1981 
•  Carlos Boozer Bulls 1981 
•  Jose Calderon Raptors 1981 
•  Andrei Kirilenko Jazz 1981 
•  Joe Johnson  Hawks 1981 
•  Pau Gasol  Lakers 1980 
•  Luis Scola  Rockets 1980 
•  David West Hornets 1980 
•  Matt Barnes  Lakers  1980 
•  Lamar Odom Lakers  1979 
•  Baron Davis  Cavs 1979 
•  Corey Maggette Charlotte 1979 
•  Dirk Nowitzki Mavs 1978 
•  Kobe Bryant Lakers 1978 
•  Chris Andersen  Nuggets  1978 
•  Shawn Marion Mavs 1978 

"Seniors"

•  Manu Ginobili Spurs 1977 
•  Paul Pierce Celtics 1977 
•  Tim Duncan  Spurs  1976 
•  Kevin Garnett Celtics 1976 
•  Brad Miller Wolves   1976 
•  Chauncey Billups Knicks  1976 
•  Andre Miller  Nuggets   1976 
•  Ray Allen Celtics 1975 
•  Steve Nash  Suns 1974 
•  Marcus Camby  Blazers 1974  

In looking at the list - one trend that is clear is that the majority, 65.4% in fact, are players that would be classified as "freshman or sophomores". These players are 29 years old or younger. The juniors and seniors (players aged 30 and older) represent only 34.6% of the list. 

Ray Allen takes care of himself. 

The three oldest players on the list are three guys that either don't carry a lot of weight on their frame, or are known as consummate professionals that take care of their bodies. Camby, Nash, and Ray Allen are the only players ranked in the top 15 by efficiency at their respective positions that were born in 1975 or earlier. Since "Father Time" is undefeated - our list and a little common sense says that the end of the road may be closer for the four players born in 1976 that seem to have less pep in their step these days than the aforementioned Camby, Nash, and Allen. Those born in `76 include Brad Miller, Chauncey Billups, Andre Miller, and Tim Duncan. 

Where youth is concerned - the Oklahoma City Thunder are the only team with three, top-15 (efficiency at their position) players.  This data supports the overflow of media attention for the Thunder as the "team of the future". Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden are the talented trio.

Teams that have an efficient duo in the "freshman" category include: the Clippers with Blake Griffin, and Eric Gordon, the Wolves with Kevin Love and Michael Beasley, the Kings with Tyreke Evans, and Marcus Thornton,  the Warriors with Steph Curry and Reggie Williams, and the Sixers with Thaddeus Young and Marreese Speights. 

LeBron was born in 1984. He should still be ascending. 

The largest group is the "sophomores" with 26 players. These guys - born between 1982 and 1985 are between the age of 25-29 years old. These players are established in the NBA and all should be approaching their prime. Portland is the only team with more than two players in the group. Their trio of LaMarcus Aldridge, Raymond Felton, and Gerald Wallace makes for a solid established core. Other teams have dynamic duos that fall into this age group. Miami has LeBron James, and Dwyane Wade. The Knicks have Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire. The Warriors can boast Monta Ellis and David Lee. Utah has talented BIG's in Paul Millsap and Al Jefferson. Denver's J.R. Smith and Nene are in there too. 

JT ain't no 3.

We finished our last racing assignment of the year  - which means until mid January it is all basketball and music over here. ...Of course, I’ve been watching as much hoop as I can get away with while still doing my racing gigs professionally; I just haven’t been blogging about it. I do “Tweet” with regularity so if you are one of the three or four people who reads this space and you want to keep up with my most timely thoughts—you can follow me on twitter. The account name is @BasslineSpin.

Where to start? Well - nothing has boiled by blood pressure like the Sacramento Kings inability to correctly use their personnel and establish some sort of dependable rotation. I lost my Twitter cool when Sac began trying Jason Thompson (pictured) at Small Forward. At times, JT was on the floor with Center Samuel Dalembert, and Power Forward Darnell Jackson.

There are but a handful of rules in the NBA that I see as unbreakable truths. One is that your “THREE-man”, or SF must have the ability to either shoot the three-point shot or be capable of taking his man off the dribble to make a play. Jason Thompson does neither. He is 1-18 from beyond the arc for his career. As for playmaking, JT has more turnovers than assists, and his ball-handling is nothing you ever want to see more than two dribbles (if that) of. True, there are a few SF’s in the NBA that he CAN match up with defensively. But I will continue to maintain that WINNERS make the opposition match up with them—not the other way around.

It is particularly troubling to me that Thompson has been forced into this situation because after an off-season of hard work that saw him improve his upper body strength—I really believed (and still do believe) that JT could help this Kings team if given a steady diet of minutes at PF or C. The monkey wrench in this deal (aside from the questionable coaching) is Darnell Jackson, who has played well at times. Jackson “forced” the Kings coaches to find him some minutes which, I can only imagine, was the impetus for the JT position juggling.

But that is no excuse. Thompson simply NEVER, EVER should have been trotted out at SF. What happens from a floor spacing standpoint, when a non-threat from the perimeter plays SF, is you wind up with a clogged middle. Defenders do not need to worry about running all the way out to the three point line - so they smartly cheat toward the middle of the floor.

Having a clogged middle is especially bad for Sacramento. Tyreke Evans’ game (and most backcourt scorer’s games) is largely dependent on dribble-driving through the paint. The baffling part is that I know the Kings coaches HAVE TO KNOW THIS. So why did they play JT at SF?

The Kings margin for error relative to the rest of the NBA is still very small. Teams with losing records cannot have hiccups while experimenting. ...Which leads me to this… A big NBA fallacy is the thought that a “good” defender deserves playing time even though that same player is not offensively gifted.

The truth is that very few defenders are so “good” that their presence overcomes their offensive liabilities. There is a scoreboard which must be lit up with scor-ING to win a game.  Antoine Wright is a “safe player”. He defends his man and he doesn’t turn the ball over. We know this from his historical data. He’s played over 5,700 minutes in his career. What we also know is that he is not and most likely never will be efficient. It is my belief he is the current poster-child for what I just described above; a “good” defensive player that simply isn’t so good of a defender that it makes up for the stuff he can’t or won’t do on offense.

Efficiency always matters. The Kings are not at a level where they can afford to play one guy out of position and then give minutes to a guy like Wright, and expect anything but a five game losing streak.

To go further into nitpicking - Sacramento still has backcourt issues - and front court scorer Carl Landry has underachieved. Landry is not getting to the free throw line enough, and in my opinion, he has settled for his fall-away jumper too often. 

Beno Udrih and Evans should play until they drop dead based on their only backups being Luther Head, Wright, and Pooh Jeter. Apparently the coaches do not trust Jeter enough to play him. Jeter’s preseason numbers didn't do anything to help the staff believe he is ready for real NBA minutes.

Head might be okay as a 'fifth guard type backup' at Shooting Guard but his body dictates that bigger SG’s will always give him problems.  Head should not be looked at as a PG. Just because his body type says PG - that doesn’t mean his skill set agrees. Wright, ...I’m not sure should even be in the NBA. I still don’t really buy Evans as a PG. So that means Sac has Udrih as the only PG option. 

Francisco Garcia has spent time playing SG but that is not his natural spot. A good SG should be able to take someone off the dribble and create a shot on his own. "Cisco" excels more at spot shooting. He is a SF that DOES stretch the defense.  Garcia has outplayed Omri Casspi to date.

Bottom line. My fix for the Kings: play Udrih and Evans all that you can (or go get a real backup PG). Start Garcia at SF, with Thompson, and Dalembert up front. Landry has always seemed most comfy coming off the bench—so bring him in as the first sub for JT. DeMarcus Cousins spells Dalembert. I’d give Casspi the nod as Garcia’s backup, and Head (as the roster stands) would get a handful of minutes backing up at SG. If there is any experimenting done - I wouldn't mind seeing Casspi given a shot at SG. He moves well and his offensive aggression is sorely needed. He has proven he can’t guard a SF like Michael Beasley so maybe Casspi’s length, against the generally smaller players at SG, would be a better fit.

I too like what Jackson has brought to the table early in the season. He does simple things within his ability. But he too has holes in his game. He struggles as a free throw shooter, is just an average rebounder for his position, and he gets an assist about once every ten days. All that said - he is not (in my opinion) better than Thompson, Dalembert, Cousins, or Landry. So Jackson should probably just be getting minutes when the team needs a spark. If the Kings really believe Jackson is an answer going forward - then they should try to trade one of their BIGS to get that backup Point Guard that they need so badly.