Slot Machine wrote:You're using the stat wrong. Really, it's as simple as that. The sample size is way too small. Could Hassan actually be a net negative on both sides of the floor? Perhaps, but it's way too early to call that considering how limited the data is on him. What it seems to me is that you're cherrypicking stats you don't understand to back up your preconceived notions rather than forming your opinions based on statistics.
Is Jimmy Butler a net negative for the Bulls? Is James Harden essentially a non-factor for the Rockets? To use a player from today's game, Mike Conley, widely regarded as one of the best defensive PGs in the league, is running a -6.9 on defense. Do you think that's accurate?
I could point to a million different reasons why someone's rating is what it is. Perhaps Spo puts Whiteside in lineups with worse defensive players, hoping to mitigate their deficiencies. A player's backup has a huge impact on these ratings as well. Way too much statistical noise to make any sort of meaningful conclusion from On/Off at this point, especially with Whiteside given his lack of previous seasons worth of data.
Not sure how I'm misunderstanding the stat. DRTG is pace adjusted. It's points per 100 possessions. I'm comparing the team vs Hassan on/off the court. The team allows 10 more points every 100 possessions with Hassan on the court than off. The sample is now 20+ games of starter minutes. A quarter of the season is not a small sample, sorry. I call him a net negative because teams score more points per 100 possessions than we do when he's on the floor. That's a net negative.
Contrary to what you think, I changed my opinion after seeing the numbers. Prior to checking the numbers, I was of the opinion that Whiteside was good for us. Then my eyes started picking up what looked like a discrepancy is performance with him on the bench. I made a post asking suggesting this, and asked if anyone had the on/off numbers for Hassan. Getting no reply, I got the numbers myself. I was shocked that the numbers were so drastically different. Who would expect us to be not must better defensively without him, but drastically so? Since then, I've tried to reconcile what I'm seeing with the numbers, and it's starting to make sense. So no, I'm not cherry picking numbers. The other analytics guys are all saying the same thing. Something is rotten in this equation, and it's not everyone trying to dump on one player.
The problem isn't lineups. He's a starter. Are we going to write those guys off as scrubs? We all admit he kills spacing, while not being someone who can produce his own offense. He doesn't pass the ball, despite seeing a lot of double teams. He protects the paint, but is pretty useless when teams decide to gun from outside. Yet, it's not fair to question his actual value to this roster? I'm not on board with that.
