The Outside World is a weekly recap of the best basketball writing and analysis the internet has to offer.
Yesterday was the NBA trade deadline. There was a plethora of player movement and this week’s edition will cover most of the trades from some of the angles!
– Kevin Pelton with a breakdown of the whole deadline day hullabaloo.
– Kelly Dwyer on the Thunder’s acquisition of Kendrick Perkins.
– Rob Mahoney on Portland snatching Gerald Wallace from the Charlotte Bobcats.
– If you own a KFC in Cleveland prepare for a financial windfall. Zach Lowe on Baron Davis heading to the Cavaliers.
– David Berri shares his thoughts on Carmelo Anthony heading to New York.
– John Hollinger discusses Deron Williams heading to New Jersey.
– Wizards owner, Ted Leonsis explains the rationale for trading away Kirk Hinrich. Extra points for candor.
– Robert Silverman says a sentimental farewell to Raymond Felton and Anthony Randolph.
– Jeremy Wagner on the acceptance of Denver’s new basketball future.
– Mike Schmitz with an objective look at how Aaron Brooks will fit into the Suns’ backcourt.
You can also find Ian at Hickory-High.com, TheTwoManGame.com and Indycornrows.com
I was just reading the Dave Berri post on the Knicks-Nuggets trade and how this Wins Produced stat only shows Carmelo Anthony as just above average. Then I started reading this:
https://dberri.wordpress.com/frequently-asked-questions-and-comments/
It sounds like advanced statistical analysis has arrived in basketball, but that the sport is far from as mature as baseball when it comes to the general consensus (among baseball statheads, that is) that Wins Above Replacement (and the measures that go into determining it) is the best player valuation method.
You’re right there is not a lot of consensus among basketball statheads about which system is the most effective. There is also a lot of confusion about the different systems. David Berri’s system is actually not Wins Above Replacement. His is Wins Produced and it’s derived from box scores stats. Wins Above Replacement is primarily distributed by Kevin Pelton and Brad Doolittle at Basketball Prospectus. I believe it’s derived from point differentials. There’s also a system called Win Shares which can be found at Basketball Reference which is derived from offensive and defensive ratings.
The difference between basketball and baseball is the ease with which you can isolate individual contributions. In baseball if a player gets a hit all the statistical credit can be given to him for that accomplishment. In basketball credit for a basket being scored needs to be divided among the player who scored it and the interaction of their four teammates who created that opportunity. Different systems have different ways of dividing and tracking that credit. Hence the lack of consensus.
Thanks for the response, Ian.
First off, let me clarify: I meant there is a general consensus among baseball statheads that WAR is the best method. I wasn’t referring to basketball WAR, just saying that it seems there are a lot of systems and no general consensus in that sport as to which is better. Thanks for confirming that is, in fact, the case.
Regarding the difference between basketball and baseball, you’re absolutely correct when it come to batting in baseball. It’s interesting to think in hoops that not just the scorer and the player credited with an assist often deserve credit.
However, baseball has a similar problem when it comes to pitchers’ statistics. When the pitcher strikes out, walks or gives up a home run to the batter, that outcome is between him and the batter, but everything involves the rest of the team (i.e. the fielders). That’s where the concepts of FIP (Fielding Independent Pitching) and DIPS (Defense Independent Pitching Statistics) come from.
But, I digress. Maybe I’ll find the time to try to dig into and better understand some of those basketball metrics. Thanks for bringing them to my attention.
You know – I’m trying really hard to stay interested in basketball. But some things about the game’s culture really irk me. Take the eblow sleeve as example. It has taken the place of the knee brace or the extra long wrist sweat bands of the 90s. Every high school kid wears them now, and some even on their shooting arms, which they never practice with.
So last night in Cleveland, Carmelo Anthony hurts his elbow on a rebound. He is noticeably affected the rest of the game. It comes out today that he has “lingering bursa sac” problem on that partiular elbow. The problem, you ask? HE WEARS A FREAKING PROTECTIVE ARM SLEEVE ON THE OTHER ARM!!!!! So here we have a guy with a legitimate elbow problem and he has padded the other one. Take a look at the pic here:
https://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/basketball/nba/02/26/knicks.heat.carmelo.anthony.ap/index.html?eref=sihp
No one talking NBA? Can we get a verdict on the OKC Thunder’s unfiroms? They are awful. What is the deal with them? I thought maybe when they came from Seattle they chose what they did because they had no time, but would eventually come out with a decent logo and color scheme. Their uniforms looks so generic. And why the most hideous color out of their color scheme on the road? That blue is awful. Their logo looks like some European League’s logo. Does anyone actually buy Thunder jerseys? Where can you buy them, Aldi’s???
YOu want to talk about uniforms? I am confused. 🙂
I know. But their uniforms really bother me. THAT is the best they could come up with???
I am so befuddled I don’t even know how to respond. 🙂
I don’t want to rank them or write a prolonged response, I’m just saying that they had a blank slate and they came up with that bland design. They have a great fanbase there and a superstar on the team, and they’re playing in Eastbay ordered AAU uniforms. Look at simple uniforms around the league and at least they have a decent mascot/logo. Bulls, Celtics, etc. Seriously – have you looked at their logo? It’s a basketball in some kind of diamond shape with “OKC” in it and “Thunder” spelled out in the most mundane font available.
Geez – I got in the wrong business. I should be designing professional uniforms. I could have drawn that up with my daughter’s crayons.
The worst part of the Thunder’s uniform is that Kendrick is wearing one now… I trust Danny Ainge almost as much as the Hooded One, so I won’t jump off the nearest bridge, but we are a worse team right now than we were last week… Time will tell…
Come in from the ledge my friend.
Think of the playoff series when Pierce is defending LeBron, and he needs a break. Now, the young legs of Jeff Green take the floor.