☝️NBA Goes FIBA? Link Between 3's and Floaters? Best 5 Year Duos, Shot Contests, KAT, Mutombo, Clark & More!

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Table of Contents

1. FIBA Style NBA? Carlisle Spills The Tea

2. The Surprising Defenders Leading NBA Shot Contests

3. Big Apple's New Kat, Wolves Howl for Ant

4. When Long Range Meets Floater Game

5. Best Duos in RAPM from 2019-2024

6. Beyond NBA Range: Caitlin Clark's Record-Breaking …

7. Tribute to Dikembe Mutombo

FIBA-Style NBA? Carlisle Spills the Tea and What It Means for the Pacers

Rick Carlisle revealed that the league informed coaches about adopting a "FIBA-like" style this season. Caitlin Cooper analyzes the impact of this on the Indiana Pacers. She examines team and player statistics, noting how similar changes after February 8, 2023, affected teams league-wide.

• After February 8, 2023, the Pacers:

  • Improved from 28th to 25th in overall free throw attempt rate ranking

  • Saw Tyrese Haliburton's shooting fouled percentage decrease from 8.8% to 5.4%

• Pacers' offensive tendencies:

  • Ranked 3rd in drives per 100 possessions and drives ending in passes

  • Ranked 23rd in percentage of drives with a help defender present

• Bennedict Mathurin's driving stats:

  • Faced help defenders on 86.7% of drives (team high)

  • Ranked 131st out of 137 players in pass percentage on drives (24.5%)

• Defensive notes:

  • Logged over 400 possessions of full-court pressure in playoffs (most in Synergy's 15-year database)

  • Aaron Nesmith led non-bigs in shooting fouls committed per 100 possessions (3.41) during regular season

The article suggests that while a more physical NBA might not significantly hinder the Pacers' fast-paced style, it could potentially enhance their defensive pressure.

Wrist-to-Wrist: The Surprising Defenders Leading NBA Shot Contests

Todd's NBA graphics use skeletal player tracking data to analyze defensive contests:

• For 3-pointers: Defender's wrist within 2 feet of shooter's wrist

• For rim shots: Defender's wrist within 18 inches of shooter's wrist at release

Key findings:

1. Lopez leads rim contests: Unsurprising as Bucks allowed 52.7 drives per 100 possessions (3rd most, up from 49.2 last season).

2. Contested 3s surprises:

   • Quickley unexpectedly tops the list

   • Avdija holds opponents to 25% when he contest 3’s

   • Surprisingly, when Dort contests, opponents shoot 42% from 3