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- 🎤 LeBron + JJ's New Podcast Debut, Most Consistent Players, Don't Go Under! On-Ball Gravity Stats, and the Pelicans' Case for Contending Status
🎤 LeBron + JJ's New Podcast Debut, Most Consistent Players, Don't Go Under! On-Ball Gravity Stats, and the Pelicans' Case for Contending Status
Curating and summarizing the best NBA content of the week
Vikram Dimba
March 19, 2024
Welcome to the NBA Librarian Weekly, where we curate and summarize the best NBA content of the week.
In Today's Edition:
What Makes a Great Basketball Player?
In exciting news, JJ Redick and LeBron James have teamed up to create "Mind The Game Pod," a podcast dedicated to in-depth basketball discussions for fans seeking more comprehensive coverage.
Their debut episode released this morning. They touch on topics like:
What constitutes a great basketball player?
Debate whether basketball IQ can be taught or is innate.
Discuss the nuanced considerations needed in late-quarter 2-for-1 situations.
They also explore the surprising difficulty some NBA players face in executing the same play on different sides of the court (left vs. right) and discuss who currently possesses the best basketball minds.
Additionally, they analyze specific plays and strategies to counter them, using video evidence and graphics to clearly illustrate these concepts to fans. This podcast is expected to be a weekly occurrence, and I am excited to see all the content they will produce.
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Knicks Film School
Knicks Film School is a great resource to understand all things happening with the Knicks. My main key takeaways here:
Hartenstein's Impact: Isaiah Hartenstein's strong defense, particularly in rim protection and perimeter assignments, boosts the Knicks' defensive capabilities.
Individual Contributors and Team Depth: The Knicks' roster depth is highlighted by players like Precious Achiuwa and Deuce McBride, who have effectively filled in for injured teammates, maintaining the team's competitive performance.
Knicks' Death Lineup: The Knicks lineup with Brunson, Hart, Anunoby, and Hartenstein has outscored opponents significantly per 100 possessions. This lineup excels in offensive rebounding and getting to the free-throw line while also preventing opponents from scoring effectively. Despite their middle-of-the-road shooting efficiency, their defensive prowess and ability to dominate the boards have made them a formidable group on the court.
On Ball Gravity Stats
Devin Booker vs. Donovan Mitchell vs. Jamal Murray On-Ball Gravity by Date
— Krishna Narsu (@knarsu3)
10:45 PM • Mar 18, 2024
I'm intrigued by statistics that dig deeper than conventional metrics to showcase a player's impact. Krishna Narsu presents a metric called "on-ball gravity," comparing Devin Booker, Donovan Mitchell, and Jamal Murray.
He defines on-ball gravity as a measure of the defensive attention and resources allocated to guard a player with the ball. Players with high on-ball gravity are likely to face more double teams and aggressive screen defenses aimed at them giving up the ball.
This comparison over the years reveals a trend where all three players have increased their on-ball gravity as they've developed. Notably, it underscores Booker's evolution from merely a "shooter" to a dynamic on-ball playmaker, highlighting a decline in on ball play during CP3's tenure with the team, followed by a surge to new heights in the Suns' play this season without a “traditional PG.”
To explore more about such statistics, visit: https://www.bball-index.com/glossary/
Don’t go Under!
When the defender goes UNDER the pick, these are the ball handlers who are most likely to shoot a three (and each of them is shooting 38% or better in these situations).
— Todd Whitehead (@CrumpledJumper)
9:28 PM • Mar 16, 2024
Love this graphic. These are most likely three point shooters when the defense goes under the screen on them. Takeaways from me:
People are going under on Steph Curry?
Jalen Green, in what has been an up-and-down season for him has been lethal when defenses go under with the second highest frequency in the league.
Breakdown of the Offensive Ratings Dip Post All-Star Break
Last week I highlighted Sravan’s analysis on the NBA's scoring drop since February, tied to fewer free throw attempts. This week, his detailed analysis deepens the insight.
Trend of Offensive Rating: The league's average offense surged in November, steadied through December and January, then sharply fell after January 31, 2024, marking an unusual trend.
Foul Trends: Over the past five seasons, fouls have steadily decreased, with the 2023-24 season seeing an unprecedented mid-season drop, resulting in the lowest foul rate in five years.
FTA Drop: A significant decline in free throw attempts after game day 80 parallels the offensive rating decrease, suggesting that fewer shooting foul calls are a major influence.
Team Impact Analysis: Except for the Chicago Bulls, all NBA teams experienced a decline in free throw attempts after January 31, 2024, affecting mainly top-seeded playoff contenders.
Detailed Foul and FTA Analysis: Overall and shooting fouls dropped by 9.3%, with notable reductions in charges and defensive three seconds, hinting at increased physicality in the paint. Free throw attempts fell by 11.6%.
GREAT article, definitely check it out to read more.
The Pelican Brief: Case for Being Contenders
The New Orleans Pelicans are looking scary.
Since January 1st, they've had a top-three net rating, ranking fourth in offensive rating and fifth in defensive rating. They've transformed their offense from being mid-range heavy to the number one team in three-point percentage. McCollum has transitioned into an off-ball shooter, hitting more than 40 percent on his catch-and-shoot and pull-up threes. Herb Jones has added a deadly three-point shot, shooting 43.5 percent from beyond the arc for the season and 53.6 percent since the new year, complementing his All-NBA-level defense. Trey Murphy has been lethal, averaging over five threes per game in recent weeks.
Most notably, Zion has reportedly lost 15 pounds over the season, and his playmaking has noticeably improved, now boasting an assist percentage comparable to Damian Lillard's, highlighting his role as a primary initiator on the team.
Most Consistent Players in the NBA
The article from CraftedNBA explores the concept of consistency in NBA players' performances, using Basketball Reference's game score metric.
It emphasizes that merely showing up isn't enough; what matters is how well players perform consistently. Through a detailed analysis, players are categorized based on their offensive load and game score into groups like 'Primary,' 'Secondary,' 'Tertiary,' and 'Role' players to evaluate their consistency.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, Clint Capela, and Walker Kessler emerge as the most consistent players in their respective categories. The study also notes that while some players, like Jalen Green, have the potential for outstanding games, they struggle with consistency, highlighting a common trend among young, score-first players. Check out the article for more!
Additionally, consider subscribing to the Basketball Intelligence newsletter, an excellent source of inspiration for the content I choose to include in mine:
