Zinger, like Pau Gasol, could play 2-5nate33 wrote:payitforward wrote:pcbothwel wrote:PIF... Why are you being so evasive? Im literally quoting you from the last week(s) and you wont give me an answer:
You stated above that KP's stats before he got here "were, overall, below average for an NBA Center in every one of those seasons."
To counter that, I provided you KP's stats over the last two years(Yes, I know it included some games in DC, but was overwhelmingly taken from his time in Dallas) and asked you to provide me with a sample of Bigs that you deem to be better. After numerous vague post you have yet to do that
Of course I'm not going to get into that! It's a senseless way to discuss a player. I don't "deem" players better or worse. I'm not judging someone's floor routine in gymnastics. I just look at their actual numbers -- the players determine who's better or worse by the numbers they put up.
Let me just turn it around for you to answer. I don't think you will. Since, I assume, you think KP last season ('20-21) was an above average NBA Center, why don't you tell me whom you would compare him to? You think he had a sizable jump last year: who'd did his jump put him next to? I.e. who was an equally good Center in 2020-21?
Instead, let's just look at KP's per-40-minute numbers in 2020-21 compared to the average output of an NBA Center that year, ok? I'll do everything else first & then scoring last. & I'll give differences (better-worse, more-less) rather than raw numbers.
KP committed .5 fewer fouls per 40 minutes than the average of all Centers. That's good, right?
He had .67 fewer turnovers than average -- also good.
He blocked just slightly more shots than average per 40 -- @ .08 more. A tiny difference, but still on the plus side of average.
But, he also had .5 fewer steals per 40 minutes & 1 fewer assist as well. So, on the sum of all that, he's about average overall.
OTOH, he got .583 fewer defensive rebounds than average. & he got 1 fewer offensive rebound than average for an NBA Center in 40 minutes. In effect, that's @1.6 fewer possessions for his team in those 40 minutes.
So, before we get to scoring, KP is a bit behind the average in what he accomplished last season per 40 minutes.
However, KP scored almost 7.6 more points than an average NBA Center that year. Thing is, though, possessions aren't free, & to score those extra points, KP needed to use about 6.42 more possessions than an average Center.
In other words, with the 1.6 fewer possessions from rebounds, those 7.6 points cost his team something over 8 possessions. Which left Kristaps Porzingis, in 2020-21, as a significantly below average NBA Center in productivity. As he was the year before, & as he was for Dallas this year.
He's playing a lot better for us, fortunately. On 1.3 more shots & a couple more FTAs, he's producing almost 5 more points. The result is that his TS% is .601 rather than .561 as it was in Dallas before he was traded. Plus, his offensive rebounding is up, his defensive rebounding his up, & his assists are also up.
That's what "better" means.
Where I disagree with PIF's analysis is in how he compares players by position, rather than role. Yes, Porzingis is nominally a center, but he is not merely a low usage rim-roller. He plays a lot of pick and pop and a lot of high post, which are lower percentage endeavors. But because he can do it, it allows other players to get more shots at the rim in a higher percentage manner.
PIF will look at Porzingis and Gafford, see that Gafford scores with insanely high efficiency while rebounding just as much, and conclude that Gafford is better. His analysis doesn't factor that other players have more difficulty scoring efficiently with Gafford on the floor because Gafford occupies the paint and isn't much of a passer.
I wish PIF would compare players according to their role, more so than their nominal position. There are stretch bigs, post bigs, and rim running bigs. There are stationary shooting wings, slashing wings, and movement shooters like Kispert. There are primary ball handling guards and secondary ball handlers. Some of those jobs are easier than others. Being good at an easier job isn't necessarily as difficult as being mediocre at a harder job.
Not my fault people can't fathom a great shooter playing SG at 7'3". Not my fault it SHOULD BE OBVIOUS Kristaps can line up as a SF. He's more of a 3 than a 4 imo. He's only a 5 because he's tall an can protect the rim.
If course I'm wrong...some of the time..
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