Ruzious wrote:...I think you go way overboard in not taking scoring into proper account - and that's not exactly something new - scoring is kind of important imho)....
Of course I take scoring into proper account! In the end only two things win basketball games:
1) number of chances you have to score (i.e. possessions) &
2) how good you are at turning those possessions into points (i.e. scoring efficiency).
IOW, it's all about scoring, & absolutely everything in a basketball that affects 1 of those two things is important, while nothing else is. E.g. if "spacing" helps #2 above, then spacing is important.
But, you cannot consider scoring independently of scoring efficiency. Period. If I score a lot of points b/c I take a lot of shots, then my scoring is not helping "win basketball games."
&, OTOH, if something I do gets my team a possession, that too helps us score more points. A player who is good at steals is helping his team's scoring.
IOW, every single stat is based on its effect on the score of the game. It's all about scoring.
Ruzious wrote:...Bryant's averaged 25 games a season in his career and probably not much over 20 minutes a game. Porz isn't even particularly durable, but he's been a lot more durable than Bryant. If Bryant ...can't stay healthy and play a lot of minutes, why would he get paid?
This is on the money, as it were!
Bryant's ability to stay healthy (his "differential ability" -- i.e. compared to other players) will affect what he gets offered in his next contract. Doesn't matter how good you are if you're in street clothes!
Bryant played 72 games for us in 2018-19. He played in 46 of the 72 pre-bubble games last year. With his 10 games this year, that's 128 of 226 regular season games.
He averaged 25 minutes a game last year & 27 this year. His first year with us (effectively his rookie year, given that he only played 72 minutes for the Lakers) he averaged 21 minutes a game.
Then again, in those same 3 seasons, Porzingis has played 3141 minutes to Bryant's 2914, so that's a concern for both guys. Maybe more so for the guy making $29m...?