By Paul Casey Gotham
Calling all connoisseurs of the great game, basketball. It is time to pour over some numbers. Below you will find raw statistics. The identities of these players are removed to avoid any possible allegiances or biases. Please avoid guessing or suggesting the players indicated by the statistics. Let’s discuss the possible value these players bring to their teams and to any team.
Below you will find the numbers for a pair of power forwards. What do you think?
Player A
PPG 17.1 (team scores 69 while allowing 61.3), FG percentage 62.5 (173/ 53 teams shoots 46.2 644/1,394), FT percentage 55.1 (98/178 team shoots 66.5 361/543), RPG 14.1 (team rebound margin 8.8), Fouls 3.2, Minutes played 34.2, BPG 2.0 his team’s strength of schedule (CBS) is ranked 219 and their RPI is in the top 114.
Player B
PPG 13.1 (team scores 73.2 while allowing 62.5) FG percentage 57.3 (142/248 team shoots 46.7 671/1,437), FT percentage 50 (44/88 team shoots 64.8 330/509), RPG 11.4 (team rebound margin 3.9), Fouls 1.9, Minutes played 34.8, BPG 2.3 his team’s strength of schedule (CBS) is ranked 26 and RPI is in the top 20.
Remember, the object is NOT to guess or suggest the player identities. The identities will be disclosed later. Let’s talk some hoops.
OK gonna talk hoops but NBA hoops…Last night on TNT you’d think that Ray Allen just broke the all-time NBA records for points,rebounds and assists all in one night. 3-point field goals ? Are you kidding me ? Who the hell cares ? They stop the game,ESPN goes on and on for the past 16 hours like it’s the greatest accomplishment in the history of sports…He’s gotta hug Reggie Miller, Mom Allen (not an attractive woman) and the whole “fam damily” ! They stopped the game for a speech ? Really ? Seriously ? This wasn’t even an NBA statistic 20 years ago ! Think of all the players who probably have a lot more 3-point baskets than Ray Allen had they counted back then…It’s like when Blocked Shots officially became an NBA statistic in 1973, the year AFTER Wilt retired…It means nothing !
It was sweet coming back from 15 down in the Gah-Den! I did not hear BEAT LA one time last night !
Oh and if you don’t think Kobe is on the same island as Michael, you weren’t watching the fourth quarter last night…Actually Kobe’s on the island and even in the hut but Michael’s got top bunk ! For now…Have a great weekend !
🙂
DOH ! Should have posted this on The Outside World…Oh well…
Back now to our regularly scheduled program … after waiting out the “Crash delay”.
Both power forwards are getting it done … except at the FT line. (How Div 1 college players can shoot well below 60% from the foul line is beyond me, but that’s another topic). Anyway, I think what separates these two players statistically may purely be the level of the competition their teams have played. Player A has better stats, but his team’s SOS is only 219 while B’s team’s SOS is 26. We could perform a “Trading Places” experiment ( for one dollar, Mortimer Duke) and I expect we’d see Player B produce similar numbers to A if B played for A’s team and vice-versa. That’s offensively. Defensively, B appears to be superior with higher BPG and fewer fouls in the same amount of minutes vs much better competition. If forced to choose a player, I’d go with B.
Now, Crash, on to your point. For the most part, I agree that this Ray Allen milestone was way overplayed. But, I do think it is a noteworthy achievement/milestone … just not to the extent that was exhibited or continues to be discussed. I had to laugh about how the commentators at the game and in the studio were debating if Ray Allen was the “best shooter” of all time, or is it REggie Miller? You made the perfect rebuttal … how can they not talk about the guys who played BEFORE the 3 point rule was in effect??? Before that rule, players would never venture that far out anyway … why bother? Better to take an 18 footer instead of a 24 footer if they’re worth same. The exception might be Lloyd “World Be Free 🙂
Anyway, as a “pure shooter”, I’d have a hard time putting anyone above Larry Bird. Of course, Jerry West has to be in the discussion and there are certainly others … including Allen and Miller.
Player A excels in major categories; PPG, RPG, and FPG (which indicates to me a hard defender). This is a case where I do NOT go with the team that has the harder schedule, A is a big cog in the wheel of his team and would likely perform as well as B if going against a tougher schedule or playing for a team where he was not the main man. I go with A.
I goofed. I meant to post the answers sooner.
Player A is Kenneth Faried from Morehead State.
Player B is Rick Jackson from Syracuse.