nate33 wrote:I came across this on the Twitter:
Hachimura showing significant statistical improvement over last year. At the moment, he is the 15th most improved player in the league by the LEBRON metric. (And before you ask PIF, I have no idea wtf the LEBRON metric is or how it's calculated.)
Well, there's a link to some verbiage about what it is. In the end, it seems entirely dependent on RAPM -- which is, in itself, completely meaningless (I've linked to articles debunking it, won't try to re-find them now).
In any case, anything that praises Rui will of course draw some head-nods here, & that is to be expected & as it should be.
For a quick check on this, look at a different player: Semi Ojeleye comes out as the 6th most improved player this year (i.e. way above Rui), but when I look at his numbers this year & last, there is next to no difference between them -- & what difference there is would seem to indicate a very slight
drop this year! Yet, a few above Ojeleye sits DeAndre Hunter, & a glance at his numbers makes it obvious that he (unlike Ojeleye)
has made an enormous jump this year.
In short, I'd say this metric is meaningless. Anyway, who needs it: it claims that the numbers show Rui as improved -- but the numbers are there for you all to look at. It should be obvious in what way Rui has improved just by looking at them directly. Whoever wants to should make a case.
I'll start: Rui's TS% has jumped from 53.5% as a rookie to 55% this year. That improvement is based on 2 factors: Rui's 3-point % is up & he's getting to the line more. OTOH, that improved TS% remains below average for an NBA 4, which is 58%. Rui's assists are also up.
Those are the improvements in Rui's numbers. Other numbers are more or less unchanged: fouls, turnovers, blocked shots. But, his defensive rebounds are down, his offensive rebounds are down, & his steals are down. Overall, it seems hard to see his numbers as having improved -- & that is the claim made by LEBRON: it's calculated on these kinds of numbers.
Of course he may have improved in ways that don't show in the numbers. But, those improvements wouldn't impact LEBRON, so... ??