Month In Review: November

[BigSlam]

First full month under our belts. What are your thoughts? Here is some data for you to review:

Results:
November - Record = 6 - 8
Wed 03 @ New Jersey 7:00pm - Walt : Win
Fri 05 @ Detroit 7:30pm - Fats : Loss
Sat 06 vs Orlando 7:00pm - Slam : Loss
Mon 08 vs San Antonio 7:00pm - Slam : Loss
Wed 10 @ Toronto 7:00pm - Fats : Win
Fri 12 @ Washington 7:00pm - hhvo : Win
Sat 13 vs Utah 7:00pm - Slam - Loss
Mon 15 vs Minnesota 7:00pm - moevil Win
Fri 19 @ Miami 7:30pm - moevil : Loss
Sat 20 vs Phoenix 7:00pm - Slam : Win
Tue 23 @ New York 7:30pm - SteveMorrison15 : Loss
Wed 24 vs New York 7:00pm - Slam : Loss
Fri 26 vs Houston 7:00pm - Fats : Win
Sat 27 @ Milwaukee 9:00pm : moevil Loss

Standings:
10th in the East, 6.5 games out of 1st and only 1.5 games out of the top 8.

Averages:
T 23rd in ppg with 96.7
Highest = 109.5 (Lakers) and lowest = 91.4 (Bucks)

5th in fg% with 47.2%
Highest = 50.4 (Celtics) and lowest = 41.0 (Bucks)

T 16th in fta with 24.9per game
Highest = 31.2 (Thunder) and lowest = 21.2 (Warriors)

T 8th in ft% with 78.5%
Highest = 85.1 (Thunder) and lowest = 67.0% (Magic)

21st in 3pa with 16.4 per game
Highest = 24.6 (Knicks) and lowest = 12.8 (Celtics)

17th in 3pm with 5.9 per game
Highest = 9.1 (Magic) and lowest = 4.5 (Raptors)

11th in 3p% with 36.3%
Highest = 42.1% (Spurs) and lowest = 30.5 (Kings)

T 20th in rpg with 40.7
Highest = 46.8 (Wolves) and lowest = 38.6 (Celtics)

8th in apg with 22.5
Highest = 26.3 (Celtics) and lowest = 17.8 (Bucks)

T 23rd spg with 6.5
Highest = 10.1 (Warriors) and lowest = 4.2 (Nets)

T 3rd in bpg with 6.4
Highest = 7.4 (Knicks) and lowest = 3.2 (Raptors)

4th in topg with 15.9
Highest = 17.4 (Wolves) and lowest = 12.4 (Heat)

23rd in fouls pg with 20.8
Highest = 24.8 (Wolves) and lowest = 18.8 (Spurs)

Highest score = 123 Vs the Suns (win)
Lowest score = 85 Vs Nets (win)

Most points in a game = Jax (30) Vs Heat (loss)
Most rebounds in a game = Nazzy (20) Vs Jazz (loss)
Most assists in a game = DJ (11 – twice) Vs Wolves (win) & Rockets (win)

[BigSlam]

DJ Augustin:
Pros: Showing an ability to get into the lane and finish at the rim. Growing in cofidence as a floor general. Attempts to push the pace. Good positional rebounder. Doing a good job of creating for others. Good on ball D.
Cons: Got to find an “in between game”. Can’t float when not defending the ball handler. Has to get more consistent. Should look to score more.

Stephen Jackson:
Pros: Is starting to allow the game to come to him a little more rather than force the issue. Shooting the ball very well from range. Can get real hot real quick. Fantastic from the free throw line.
Cons: His defense has been awful. He should work the post a lot more. He needs to cut down on the flashy passes and go with the safe option. Needs to stop killing ball movement when it hits his hand. Got to cut down on the technical fouls. Needs to play 4 quarters, not just 3 mins of brilliant ball.

Gerald Wallace:
Pros: Starting to come alive and play with energy. Continuing to rebound the ball well. Getting to the line at a great rate
Cons: Taking too long to get going. Rumors of locker room issues. That damn down screen play that he never seems to hit.

Boris Diaw:
Pros: Seems to be looking for his own shot a little more. Been one of our more consistent game to game and quarter to quarter players.
Cons: Still needs to look for his shot more, especially in the post. Poor free throw shooting.

Nazr Mohammed:
Pros: Has provided some great energy in spurts, particularly at the start of some games or at the start of the 2nd half. Provides some good big man offense with his mid range J.
Cons: Looking just a little slow out there. Rumor of locker room issues.

Shaun Livingston:
Pros: Has shown a good offensive game using his size to post up smaller PG’s and his length to get to the rack. Is yet to miss a game (considering he missed the entire SL and preseason, I thin kthis is a pro!). Uses his length very well on the boards.
Cons: Not seeing any real passing or floor general type game from him. Seems to panic when pressed resulting in turn overs.

Gerald Henderson:
Pros: Shown improved shooting. Has shown great hustle and energy.
Cons: His health.

Derrick Brown:
Pros: Fantastic energy off the bench. Using his length really well to get to the rim. Playing pesky D. Gets out and runs reallt well.
Cons: Hasn’t been finishing well in traffic. Poor free throw shooting.

Tyrus Thomas:
Pros: Mid range J has been great. Working to get deep position in the post and score. Took full advantage when he was given starters mins. Providing great energy. Improved free throw shooting. Help D and straight up shot blocking have been great.
Cons: Played a little out of control at times. Looks for his shot a little too much.

Kwame Brown:
Pros: Provided fantasic energy. Great post D.
Cons: Free throw shooting. Mid range shooting. Pretty much any sort of shooting.

Sherron Collins:
Pros: Has great strength when it comes to fighting through screens.
Cons: Looked totally lost out on the court.

Matt Carroll:
Pros: Played excellent defense and made some smart plays.
Cons: Got to make his open shots.

Dominic McGuire:
Pros: Looked like he belongs on the court.
Cons: Suspect shooting

Gana Diop:
Pros: Had some good defensive stretches.
Cons: Everything else?

[captaincrunk]

It looks like, aside from the knicks, we've won all our games against non playoff teams, and even one against playoff team Phoenix. It was a strange set of games, to say the least. Most of our losses were close too.

EDIT: Also looking at the games we played against really tough teams like the Heat and Jazz, it looks like individual players stepped up strong, like Nazr and Jax. If more individuals made a concentrated effort, maybe more of those games would be wins.

[BigSlam]

Agreed Captain. The loss against the Jazz really stung because we owned that game for all but the last 5 seconds when D.Will hit that buzzer beater. We win that one and at least one against the Knicks and things would be a lot easier right now.

[Jaruff]

I thought we played really well against Houston. It's the best I've seen them play (granted, the other games I watched have all been losses) this year.

I'm not worried about some of the role guys like Kwame and McGuire; they've never been known for being offensive threats. Hell, I think McGuire started a lot for Washington a few years ago and averaged 3 or 4 ppg in good minutes.

What's with the Crash and Nazr locker room issues? I haven't been here for a few days nor heard nor read anything about it elsewhere.

[Battery]

I think the biggest positive surprise from a team perspective has been our outside shooting. We would be 0 and whatever if we shot it like we did last season.

[Badd_Intentions]

I've liked DJ's play. I now actually wouldn't mind keeping him around long term (unless we can involve him somehow in a trade for an upper echelon PG).

The team is pretty much turning it over too much. We are not talented enough to make up for giving the ball away so much.

Also as last year, we aren't getting many easy baskets. This can be equated to not getting many steals from our defense. All in all we are still mediocre. A team that on any given night can beat any team in the league, but chances are if a team scores 100+ we just can't keep up. We really don't have a main "cog" that makes everything go. We need to have 3-4 players having pretty good nights for us to win. As opposed to teams with "star" players that can carry a team. I love the team, but I don't really find myself excited to see them play. I also don't feel we have a shot in a series against any playoff caliber team in the East.

[Marvel]

To be fair, Livingston is playing with the worst 2nd unit in the league and he really hasn't had time to gel with them yet.

[captaincrunk]

To be fair, Livingston is playing with the worst 2nd unit in the league and he really hasn't had time to gel with them yet.

The injuries have hurt our second team a lot. I like our second team with Kwame and Hendo and McGuire healthy. But they haven't been and it's hurting the team a lot.

[ajbry]

Jack's D has been quite solid. His help defense is poor, but he's far superior to Gerald (who noticeably receives no defensive criticism) sticking to shooters and defending his man when they're handling the rock.

[BigSlam]

I think the biggest positive surprise from a team perspective has been our outside shooting. We would be 0 and whatever if we shot it like we did last season.

Agreed Battery.

21st in 3pa with 16.4 per game
Highest = 24.6 (Knicks) and lowest = 12.8 (Celtics)

17th in 3pm with 5.9 per game
Highest = 9.1 (Magic) and lowest = 4.5 (Raptors)

11th in 3p% with 36.3%
Highest = 42.1% (Spurs) and lowest = 30.5 (Kings)

For a guy like LB who hates the 3 point shot we actually rate middle of the pack with made and % but it's no surprise we are down in the bottom 3rd of attempts.

Jax has been red hot in Nov from range. His shooting has been a huge reason we have looked so good from out there.

[BigSlam]

What's with the Crash and Nazr locker room issues? I haven't been here for a few days nor heard nor read anything about it elsewhere.

It's been suggested that Crash isn't happy with the amount of touches he has been getting and Nazzy tweeted the other day making a reference to it being like 2008 again (when LB didn't play him).

[BigSlam]

Jack's D has been quite solid. His help defense is poor, but he's far superior to Gerald (who noticeably receives no defensive criticism) sticking to shooters and defending his man when they're handling the rock.

Really? I've felt that Jax's D has been horrible. There has been little to no effort on his behalf at that end of the floor allowing guys just to waltz on by him. He's looked slow, lethargic and uninterested on D IMO.

[Marvel]

Touche, Jackson's D has been veeeeery average this season.

[fatlever]

our help defense as a team is just poor this season. we were so good last year in that area. we miss the good frankencenter in that regard. jax, boris and nazr are always a step slow on help defense, dj is out in la la land and wallace is playing about about 50% of where he was last year.

[Tupik]

Great review Slam.

[captaincrunk]

For a guy like LB who hates the 3 point shot we actually rate middle of the pack with made and % but it's no surprise we are down in the bottom 3rd of attempts.

Jax has been red hot in Nov from range. His shooting has been a huge reason we have looked so good from out there.

I think we can attribute some of our percentage there to the lack of unnecessary attempts though. We don't see as many covered 3 ball attempts as I do on teams like the knicks and the Magic who appear to be looking for the 3.

[Paydro70]

Allow me to add a few advanced stats:
Poss/gm: 93.2 (22nd)
REB%: 52.3 (2nd)

Offensive:
Pts/100 Possessions: 103.8 (15th)
Ast%: 21.9 (5th)
TO%: 16.3 (30th)
eFG%: 51.2 (T-8th)
TS%: 56 (T-7th)
OR%: 26.8 (11th)
%Blked: 8.59 (1st - as in blocked a lot)
FT/FGA: .259 (7th)

(Note that we are above-average in literally everything but turnovers.)
Defensive:
Ast%: 21 (24th... as in we allow a lot of assists)
TO%: 13.6
eFG%: 50.1 (16th)
DR%: 76.2 (6th)
FT/FGA: .240 (16th)
Blk%: 6.8 (T-2nd)
Pts allowed/100 Poss: 104.4 (15th)

And some tendencies:
% shots at rim: 34.5 (1st)
% 0-10ft: 15.1 (19th)
% 10-15ft: 7.2 (24th)
% 16-23ft: 21.3 (23rd)
% 3pters: 21.7 (16th)
In terms of MAKING these shots, we are about average from everywhere but long 2s, where we're 4th.

Defensively, we have one of the best defenses against shots at the rim, one of the worst out to 10 feet, then about average elsewhere. We allow among the most 3pters to be taken, but among the least long 2s.

In terms of individuals, adjusted +/- suggests that DJ, Crash, and Tyrus do the most to contribute to our wins, while SJax and Nazr hurt the most. Jackson, of course, plays 36mpg, so we're not talking about starter-on-starter time, but it's worth noting how often our team starts to catch up once he sits. Plus we're talking about a relatively small sample size, +/- is incredibly noisy data, to the point that its creators prefer to look at 2 years at a time.

Nazr, on the other hand, is something I'm more likely to believe is real. His defensive numbers are TERRIBLE, and he apparently hurts the offensive too. We play our best basketball when the frontcourt is some combo of Tyrus, Crash, and Diaw.

Based on these stats, a lineup at least worth trying would be DJ-Hendo-Crash-Tyrus-Diaw, but we haven't run it yet. The best one we actually have run extensively is Augustin-Jackson-Wallace-Diaw-Thomas, which is +12 in 80 minutes.

[Paydro70]

Oh, also note that our low # of 3pt attempts is actually just an artifact of our pace and TO rate... we are middle-of-the-pack in the percentage of shots taken from 3.

[Marvel]

I'll tell you whose having a great November....Tyson Chandler. We really got screwed on that deal with Dallas. F***ing Matt Carroll, Najera haven't done jack since they been here and they're rotting on the bench while LB's playing an obese overweight midget.

The Charlotte Bobcats....