Sabonis to memphis

[One_and_Done]

That’s fair no stat is perfect, but ignoring them entirely isn’t logic either. The whole point is to combine what we see with what the numbers tell us. When every metric and the box score both point to high impact, it’s not just coincidence.

The fact that Sabonis hasn’t been surrounded with a legit #1 option and plus defenders doesn’t make him a negative — it just means he hasn’t been in the right context yet. He’s still producing elite numbers and impact in a setup that isn’t optimized for him.

If I see 6 flawed things, I don't see why I should care for them any more than 1 flawed thing. Impact stats are a data point; they might indicate something is happening, but they also might not. In Sabonis case I've seen enough to be confident they're not telling us anything useful.

The Kings this year have so many flawed players it's crazy. There is real potential for a death spiral.

I don’t think anyone’s saying impact stats are perfect, but they’re still evidence. When they consistently rate Sabonis as one of the most productive players in the league and the eye test shows the same playmaking, rebounding, and efficiency, that’s not noise. The Kings have flaws, sure but that’s a roster issue, not a Sabonis problem.

Horoscopes are a form of evidence too. Some evidence has little value, especially when other evidence/observations show the contrary.

Sabonis is one of their flaws. He is part of the problem. The Kings would be so much better off with a 'worse' player than Reaves handling the offensive load Sabonis does, and starting a rim rolling 5 like Lively or young Clint Capella at the 5.

[sackings916]

If I see 6 flawed things, I don't see why I should care for them any more than 1 flawed thing. Impact stats are a data point; they might indicate something is happening, but they also might not. In Sabonis case I've seen enough to be confident they're not telling us anything useful.

The Kings this year have so many flawed players it's crazy. There is real potential for a death spiral.

I don’t think anyone’s saying impact stats are perfect, but they’re still evidence. When they consistently rate Sabonis as one of the most productive players in the league and the eye test shows the same playmaking, rebounding, and efficiency, that’s not noise. The Kings have flaws, sure but that’s a roster issue, not a Sabonis problem.

Horoscopes are a form of evidence too. Some evidence has little value, especially when other evidence/observations show the contrary.

Sabonis is one of their flaws. He is part of the problem. The Kings would be so much better off with a 'worse' player than Reaves handling the offensive load Sabonis does, and starting a rim rolling 5 like Lively or young Clint Capella at the 5.

That’s a wild comparison. impact metrics are based on data tied to actual on-court results, not astrology. You don’t have to think they’re perfect to recognize that consistent top-10 production across multiple metrics, plus elite counting stats, points to a net positive player. The Kings’ issue isn’t Sabonis doing too much its that he has to because the roster lacks a legit #1 and high-end defenders

[Sactowndog]

The question with a flawed player is this; "is the juice worth the squeeze?"

Jokic has the flaw of being a bad defender at the position where D matters most, but his offense is so otherworldly you are willing to live with it and find players like Gordon who minimise the damage.

Sabonis has that same weakness, but what he gives you to compensate is really not worth it. He's a good rebounder, has a decent offensive game (minus 3pt shooting), etc, but nothing especially valuable given what you're losing by playing him. You'd be much better served starting a 3&D wing at the 4, starting an ordinary rim roller, and letting those guys give you rebounding, without giving up your defensive anchor. All the offense Sabonis provides can be provided by guards, who are better at it anyway.

I think your analysis makes my point.

The point is his strengths don't matter, because if you build the team properly you'll get those strengths from the positions that are better geared to producing them, without the crippling weaknesses.

Let me elaborate. Sabonis is probably one of the most polarizing players in the NBA. Some think he is close to worthless and would not trade anything for him and others think he is an all NBA player (which he was). The gap is so wide you can never have a productive conversation about him. You clearly are in the first camp which is fine.