Statistical Trivia

[Crow]

Celtics tool about 32% of playoff shots from mid-range. Average was about 37%. Thunder almost 37%. Twolves 33%. Nuggets 38%. Bucks 45%. And Heat 47%. Sixers 31%.

[Crow]

Bucks suddenly have 7 publicly listed analytics staff after being low for so long? What impact has come or is coming?



Magic below playoff average FG% from every distance except 1st on long 2s. What impact or not of analytics and coaching on getting those highly suspect results?



Sixers next to last on fg% within 3 feet. What impact of analytics and coaching on that? Clippers dead last. Will either see attention or improvement? Knicks, Bucks and Thunder all modestly below playoff average. Can be some randomness but results are the results and this is an issue.


Knicks, Thunder, Magic, Sixers and Suns all awful FG% from floater range (3-10 ft), though all are low on frequency and what's left may be tougher than average.

More things out there to be found with time, incentive and audience.


Wizards publicly noted analytics staff cut by at least 1/3rd from its peak. Maybe results have something to do with that. Is the change-out process still underway or is the downsize intentional and long-term? Crowd the top of front office with big salaries and cut the base?


Nbastuffer.com counts generally do not count other types of analytic staff outside data engineering and analysis of it. Salary cap staff should count more consistently along with some "scouts" and pro personnel evaluators / managers (to the extent that they are notably quantitative in approach).

[Crow]

Celtics were also highest of 2023 conference finalists by 3pta rate + 2pt assist rate. Nuggets and the others not special.

Celtics and Warriors both special in 2022. No conference finalist special in 2021. 2020, Lakers ok, Heat special. 2019, Raptors ok, Warriors special. 2018, Warriors and Celtics special.

So usually at least one conference finalist ok or special and generally it included the champ.

I'd rather be ok or special than not. I am not going to demand special over ok but it still sounds preferable.

[Crow]

Minutes given in last regular season to players -2 or worse on BPM:

Celtics, about 500.
Mavs, 6500.
Pacers 5500.
Timberwolves, 2900.

Thunder, 1500.

[Crow]

Knicks, 2100.
Cavs, 2200.
Magic 1800.
Sixers 4700.
Nuggets 4800.
Clippers 3400.
Suns 1000.
Pelicans 2500.
Lakers 6100.
Warriors 2700.
Rockets 5000.
Spurs 8600.
Wizards 8800.
Pistons 13500.

Few anywhere close to Celtics.

[Crow]

Playoff minutes played at -3 or worse:

Celtics 1.4%
Mavs 4.5%
Pacers 16%
TWolves 2.8%

Thunder 2%.

One of these it not like the others.

[Mike G]

Code: Select all

Most minutes without...       tm  next
a point  26  Joe Ingles       Min   13
a FGA    16  Oscar Tshiebwe   Uta    6
a FTA   272  Ben Sheppard     Ind  134
an OReb 145  Aaron Holiday    Hou   77
a DReb   29  Maxwell Lewis    LAL   26
any Reb  11  Dominick Barlow  Atl   10
an Ast   90  Adem Bona        Phl   46
a Stl    97  Ariel Hukporti   NYK   93
a Blk   627  Tim Hardaway     Det  571
a TO     67  Torrey Craig     Chi   47
a foul   41  Matt Ryan        NYK   30

"next" refers to next most minutes without a whatever. Like #2

[Mike G]

About 1/3 of the way thru the 24-25 season, player per-36-minute rates in 2 categories such that nobody ranks higher in both.

Code: Select all

per36     tm    Pts   Reb
Giannis  Mil   33.6  11.9
Jokic    Den   29.7  12.4
Towns    NYK   25.8  14.7
Drummond Phl   12.9  15.0
Looney   GSW   11.3  16.3

per36     tm    Reb   Ast
Looney   GSW   16.3   3.9
Valan'us Was   14.1   4.2
Sabonis  Sac   13.5   6.0
Jokic    Den   12.4   9.4
Simmons  Brk    8.1   9.9
Paul     SAS    5.2  10.7
Young    Atl    3.9  12.2 

per36     tm    Ast   Stl
Young    Atl   12.2   1.3
Paul     SAS   10.7   1.9
Westbr'k Den    8.9   2.4
Jerome   Cle    7.0   2.5
K Dunn   LAC    4.3   2.7
Daniels  Atl    3.7   3.2

per36    tm     Stl   Blk
Daniels  Atl    3.2   1.0
Eason    Hou    3.0   1.6
Jackson  Mem    1.9   2.2
Isaac    Orl    1.9   3.0

per36    tm    Blk   -TO
Wemby    SAS   4.2   3.9
Clingan  Por   4.1   2.4
Kessler  Uta   3.6   1.8
Isaac    Orl   3.0    .9
J Davis  Was   1.2    .8
Dort     OKC   1.0    .7
Wade     Cle    .6    .4

per36     tm   -TO    Pts
D Wade   Cle    .4    9.3
Hauser   Bos    .6   13.8
Joe      OKC    .8   14.7
Payne    Phl   1.0   16.0
KJohnson SAS   1.1   17.8
Toppin   Ind   1.2   19.0
Pritch'd Bos   1.3   20.0
CJohnson Brk   1.4   21.0
AWiggins GSW   1.5   22.0
Vucevic  Chi   2.0   23.6
Powell   LAC   2.1   26.2
A Davis  LAL   2.3   27.4
Jackson  Mem   2.6   27.8
Shai     OKC   2.8   31.5
Giannis  Mil   3.5   33.6
   
per36     tm    Pts   Ast
Giannis  Mil   33.6   6.2
Ball     Cha   32.5   8.0
Jokic    Den   29.7   9.4
Cunni'hm Det   23.9   9.7
Young    Atl   21.5  12.2

per36     tm   Ast   Blk
Young    Atl  12.2    .1
Paul     SAS  10.7    .3
Simmons  Brk   9.9    .8
Cunni'hm Det   9.7   1.0
D Green  GSW   7.2   1.2
Giannis  Mil   6.2   1.5
Wemby    SAS   4.3   4.2

per36    tm    Blk    Pts
Wemby    SAS   4.2   27.4
Jackson  Mem   2.2   27.8
Giannis  Mil   1.5   33.6

per36    tm     Pts   Stl
Giannis  Mil   33.6    .7
Ball     Cha   32.5   1.5
Shai     OKC   31.5   2.0
Doncic   Dal   28.2   2.0
J Will.  OKC   24.2   2.1
Jerome   Cle   21.4   2.5
Eason    Hou   17.8   3.0
Daniels  Atl   14.0   3.2

per36     tm    Stl   -TO
Daniels  Atl    3.2   2.1
Eason    Hou    3.0   1.3
J Davis  Was    2.4    .8
D Wade   Cle    1.8    .4

per36     tm   -TO    Reb
D Wade   Cle    .4    7.8
Kornet   Bos    .9   10.1
J Allen  Cle   1.3   12.4
J Smith  Chi   1.3   12.7
Capela   Atl   1.4   14.7
Looney   GSW   1.4   16.3

per36     tm    Reb   Blk
Looney   GSW   16.3    .5
Drummond Phl   15.0    .8
Towns    NYK   14.7   1.1
Capela   Atl   14.7   1.7
Clingan  Por   14.3   4.1
Wemby    SAS   11.1   4.2

per36     tm    Reb   Stl
Looney   GSW   16.3   1.7
Drummond Phl   15.0   2.4
Eason    Hou   10.0   3.0
Daniels  Atl    5.4   3.2

per36     tm    Ast   -TO
Young    Atl   12.2   4.6
Paul     SAS   10.7   2.4
Halib'n  Ind    8.9   2.0
T Jones  Phx    7.5   1.2
Payne    NYK    6.7   1.0
Kornet   Bos    3.4    .9
Merrill  Cle    3.1    .9
Okoro    Cle    3.0    .7
Wade     Cle    2.3    .4

Category leaders (min. 202 minutes) show up at top and bottom of each of 15 lists. Turnovers are 'fewest'.

[Crow]

So folks should possibly try to trade for Drummond, Looney, JVal, Paul, Joe,,Wiggins, Cam Johnson, others with realistic chances to be had.

[Mike G]

Maybe build an All-Trivia team for Allstar weekend?
Some shooting pairs:

Code: Select all

per 36    tm    3fga   3fg%
Jokic     Den    4.3   .514
Okoro     Cle    4.5   .492
Mathews   Atl    9.0   .489
Pritchard Bos   11.0   .427
Hield     GSW   11.4   .423
Curry     GSW   11.8   .403
Ball      Cha   14.0   .348

per 36    tm    3fga   2fga
Ball      Cha   14.0   12.3
F Wagner  Orl    6.9   13.6
Shai      OKC    6.5   15.4
Jokic     Den    4.3   15.8
A Davis   LAL    2.3   16.4
Giannis   Mil     .8   20.7

per 36    tm    2fga   2fg%
Giannis   Mil   20.7   .627
Gafford   Dal   12.3   .733

per 36    tm    2fg%   3fga
Gafford   Dal   .733      0
Toppin    Ind   .730    6.4
Pritchard Bos   .653   11.0
Hield     GSW   .515   11.4
Ball      Cha   .510   14.0

per 36    tm    3fga    FTA
Ball      Cha   14.0    6.1
Tatum     Bos   10.5    7.2
Harden    LAC    8.7    7.8
Shai      OKC    6.5    8.2
A Davis   LAL    2.3    8.7
Giannis   Mil     .8   11.7

per 36    tm     FTA   2FGA
Giannis   Mil   11.7   20.7

per 36    tm     FTA    FGA
Giannis   Mil   11.7   21.5
Shai      OKC    8.2   22.0
Ball      Cha    6.1   26.3

[Crow]

Clippers, new arena, Kawhi whatever, 28th on home attendance.

[Crow]

Jokic, 49% from 3.

[Crow]

League slightly older and bigger the last 2 years than the all-time lows before that.

4 of 5 lowest all-time FT/FGA rates in last 5 years. None for the 3 leaders are in top half on this.

[Mike G]

A player who averages 30 pts in games of 90 per team is as dominant as one averaging 40 in games of 120.
I've found 25 instances of a player getting 30% of what his team's opponents -- what the league averaged in the games he was in -- scored.

Code: Select all

%opp   player   year    ppg    opp
.411   Wilt     1962   50.4   122.7
.371   Wilt     1963   44.8   120.6
.365   Kobe     2006   35.4    96.9
.360   Wilt     1964   36.9   102.6
.357   Jordan   1987   37.1   103.9
.351   Iverson  2002   31.4    89.4
.344   Jordan   1988   35.0   101.6
.344   Iverson  2001   31.1    90.4
.336   Kareem   1972   34.8   103.5
.331   Harden   2019   36.1   109.1
.329   Baylor   1962   38.3   116.3
.327   McAdoo   1975   34.5   105.6
.326   McGrady  2003   32.1    98.4
.326   Iverson  2006   33.0   101.3
.324   Wilt     1960   37.6   116.0
.321   Durant   2014   32.0    99.8
.320   Wilt     1961   38.4   120.1
.316   Jordan   1990   33.6   106.2
.311   Embiid   2024   34.7   111.5
.309   Wilt     1965   34.7   112.3
.308   Wade     2009   30.2    98.0
.308  Archibald 1973   34.0   110.5
.305   Baylor   1961   34.8   114.1
.302   Baylor   1963   34.0   112.4
.300   King     1985   32.9   109.8

In this current era of many superscorers, none reach near the top, thanks to reduced min/G. Harden's peak, Durant's mvp year, Embiid's historic point-a-minute outburst, are all that represent the last 18+ seasons.

Here are peak seasons (I think) for some other notable scorers:

Code: Select all

%opp   player   year    ppg    opp
.299  Westbrook 2017   31.6   105.8
.298   Barry    1967   35.6   119.5
.293   Doncic   2024   33.9   115.6
.284   C Scott  1972 a 33.4   117.5
.284   Curry    2021   32.0   112.7
.282   Giannis  2025   31.3   110.8
.279   Erving   1973 a 31.9   114.4
.277   Gervin   1980   33.1   119.7
.274   Lillard  2023   32.2   117.4

[Mike G]

League avg (on the court) age this season is 26.5 years, oldest it's been since 2017.
It may drop as more developing players get floor time later in the season.

Without LeBron, the league would be .057 years younger. That's 21 days of age he adds to the avg NBA minute.
He makes the Lakers almost 2 years older.