RealGM

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/hollinge ... statistics

correct me if I'm wrong, but you cant just get the ranking off of Hollinger's list and use that as a basis as to why one team is better than another

Kobe (6), Bynum (15), Gasol (25), Farmar (71), Sasha (83), Ariza (89), Ronny (92), Fish (109), Odom (148)

KG (4), Pierce (39), Ray.... (97) Rondo (131), Perkins (176)

Lakers>Celtics

that seems inaccurate to me and just twisting the numbers

what would be the best way to use the per stat to compare two teams

Thanks in advance if anyone has any information

First, PER is primarily a measure of offensive efficiency, it doesn't measure defensive efficiency.

It also doesn't measure who can do what to whom, so just looking at PER numbers would not tell you who shuts down another player defensively.

The ranking isn't of much use, the way you suggest.

What gives some idea of relative offensive efficiency is adding the PER numbers for the teams rotational players.

For the Celtics, you could sum Garnett, Pierce, Allen & Allen, Rondo, Perk, Posey, House, and I'd use the average of Davis/Powe plus the average of Scal/Pollard.

San Antonio's starters are higher.

Personally, I'm more concerned with the PER of the 5 guys who finish a close game, and in a close game, the actual game numbers of the 5 men on the floor that day.

I wouldn't use the ranking #'s, though.

I'd use the absolute (actual) Per numbers.

Although they represent per minute effectiveness, you can add all the rotational players like I used in the example above.

The last time I did this, only San Antonio was a threat.

But, the Celtic #'s have come back down to earth (somewhat),

and the Lakers have just made a MAJOR addition without giving up anything.

The rankings are not very significant. The PER is designed to describe a players production the difference between 15.3 and 15.5 isn't very important but could separate 50 players. For comparison you would want to use their actual numbers.

But you also can't add what Gasol was in Memphis and expect him to be that in LAL. He is going to give up 3 to 4 shots a game in LA and probably avg less rebounds.

That said the best and easiest thing to look at would be By Position analysis on 82.games for the teams you want to compare. Gasol really addresses the Lakers weakness up front, but the hasn't created much of a differential at the 5 spot in Memphis. He will likely slide to the 4 spot in LAL which will help him but may further marginalize Odom as he struggles offensively at the SF spot.

This is going to help the Lakers but I don't know that it is going to be quite as great as it seems on paper. That said if they find a way to turn Odom into Artest then look the hell out.

You are right you can't use PER to compare that well across teams as PER is just another fantasy stat for the most part. It's useful to say so and so is outproducing his competition on average. But a players role will vary from team to team so go to a loaded team can absolutely kill you PER. In addition as others have pointed out it largely ignores defense which of course is natural with a fantasy type statistic.

That being said Lakers will be great.

Pete