SWC75
Bored Historian
- Joined
- Aug 26, 2011
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For the last several years I’ve been making monthly posts for baseball keeping track of who is leading each league in base production, (total batting bases +walks + steals) and run production, (runs scored + runs batted in minus home runs so they don’t get counted twice). I’ve also used those stats for my series on the history of the sport to identify the most historically productive players. I’m going to be starting a similar series for basketball soon and I thought I’d start doing monthly NBA posts using my “net points” formula: points + rebounds +assists + steals + blocks – missed field goals –missed free throws – turnovers – fouls. Since we don’t have two leagues, I’ll keep track of the top 25 players. I’ve also decided to break out the players averages per 48 minutes of play, (the length of an NBA game).
Players don’t actually average 48 minutes per game, (BasketballReference.com keeps track of averages per 36 minutes as that’s closer to what a star player will average). But they could play that much in a tight game. These numbers represent what they are capable of doing when their team really needs them to produce. The players are ranked based on total net points. The averages are just a breakdown of their individual skills. I do show the NP per 40 minutes at the end of each line but I’ll ranked them based on the total NP because that’s not a projection based on a rate of production..
Here is a breakdown of what I’ve typed in each case with LeBron James in November as an example: LeBron played 15 games and 539 minutes in those games, an average of 35.9 minutes per game (m). He scored 353 points (p), grabbed 121 rebounds (r ), passed for 140 assists (a), stole 16 balls (s) and blocked 7 shots (b). He attempted 257 field goals and made 128, so he missed 129 (mfg). He attempted 100 free throws and made 72, missing 28 (mft). He had 58 turnovers (to) and 25 personal fouls (pf). I add the positives and subtract the negatives to get 397 net points. I divide 48 by the 539 minutes and multiply each stat by the result. I come up with this:
LeBron James CLE 35.9m 31.4p 10.8r 12.5a 1.4s 0.6b 11.5mfg 2.5mft 5.2to 2.2pf 397NP (35.5)
AFTER JANUARY
James Harden HOU……. 36.4m 37.5p 10.7r 15.1a 1.9s 0.6b 13.5mfg 1.9mft 7.8to 3.5pf 1543NP (37.5)
Russell Westbrook OKC 34.7m 42.5p 14.6r 14.3a 2.1s 0.7b 19.1mfg 2.6mft 7.6to 3.4pf 1463NP (41.3)
Kevin Durant GS….…….. 34.3m 36.8p 11.7r 6.6a 1.7s 2.4b 12.9mfg 1.2mft 3.3to 2.7pf 1407NP (41.1)
Anthony Davis NO……… 36.8m 37.0p 16.4r 3.0a 1.7s 3.1b 13.6mfg 2.5mft 3.4to 3.1pf 1307NP (38.7)
C. J. McCollum POR……. 34.5m 32.5p 5.0r 5.0a 1.6s 0.9b 12.9mfg 0.6mft 3.2to 3.8pf 1258NP (35.0)
DeMarcus Cousins SAC.. 34.4m 39.3p 14.7r 6.2a 1.9s 1.9b 15.6mfg 3.1mft 4.9to 5.1pf 1210NP (35.1)
LeBron James CLE…………37.5m 32.8p 10.3r 10.8a 1.9s 0.7b 11.1mfg 2.8mft 5.1to 2.1pf 1203NP (35.0)
G. Antetokounmopo MIL 35.2m 31.9p 11.9r 7.5a 2.4s 2.7b 10.5mfg 2.1mft 4.1to 4.5pf 1191NP (35.4)
Karl-Anthony Towns MIN 36.4m 30.3p 15.7r 4.0a 0.9s 2.0b 11.5mfg 1.2mft 3.7to 4.0pf 1182NP (32.5)
Jimmy Butler CHI.…………36.8m 32.0p 8.6r 6.2a 2.3s 0.4b 11.9mfg 1.6mft 2.7to 2.1pf 1118NP (31.0)
John Wall WAS……………. 36.2m 30.1p 6.0r 13.7a 2.8s 0.7b 13.1mfg 1.5mft 5.5to 2.6pf 1060NP (30.5)
Kawhi Leonard SA...……. 33.7m 36.5p 8.3r 4.6a 2.5s 1.0b 12.7mfg 0.9mft 2.9to 2.2pf 1055NP (34.2)
Steph Curry GS……………. 33.5m 35.8p 6.2r 8.8a 2.4s 0.3b 13.5mfg 0.5mft 4.3to 3.1pf 1051NP (32.0)
Kyle Lowry TOR…………… 37.5m 29.5p 6.1r 8.9a 2.0s 0.5b 10.4mfg 1.5mft 3.7to 3.6pf 1045NP (27.8)
Isaiah Thomas BOS……… 34.3m 41.1p 3.8r 8.9a 1.2s 0.2b 14.8mfg 1.0mft 3.6to 3.1pf 1028NP (32.7)
Rudy Gobert UTAH……… 33.6m 18.3p 17.9r 1.3a 1.0s 3.6b 3.3mfg 2.9mft 2.6to 4.2pf 1000NP (29.1)
DeAndre Jordan LAC…… 31.8m 18.6p 20.8r 1.7a 0.8s 2.6b 3.2mfg 3.9mft 2.3to 4.0pf 994NP (31.2)
DeMar DeRozen TOR…… 35.4m 37.7p 7.3r 5.3a 1.6s 0.2b 15.2mfg 1.8mft 3.2to 2.6pf 971NP (29.3)
Damian Lillard POR……… 35.6m 35.2p 6.3r 7.9a 1.0s 0.4b 14.4mfg 1.0mft 3.6to 2.9pf 967NP (29.0)
Kemba Walker CHA……… 34.0m 32.8p 5.9r 7.7a 1.7s 0.4b 13.9mfg 1.1mft 3.2to 2.2pf 951NP (28.0)
Marc Gasol MEM………… 34.3m 29.0p 8.5r 5.8a 1.4s 2.1b 12.0mfg 1.3mft 3.0to 3.3pf 939NP (27.3)
Andre Drummond DET… 30.8m 22.7p 21.5r 1.8a 2.6s 1.9b 8.6mfg 4.0mft 3.1to 4.6pf 911NP (30.2)
Hassan Whiteside MIA… 33.2m 24.0p 19.9r 1.0a 1.1s 3.0b 8.4mfg 3.0mft 3.0to 4.5pf 909NP (29.9)
Eric Bledsoe PHO…………. 33.3m 30.5p 7.7r 9.0a 2.1s 0.7b 12.8mfg 1.5mft 4.5to 3.9pf 893NP (26.9)
Carmelo Anthony NY…… 34.5m 32.8p 8.7r 4.2a 1.2s 0.6b 15.1mfg 1.2mft 2.7to 3.8pf 872NP (25.3)
Comments: Harden and Westbrook continue to put up amazing numbers across the board – including incredible numbers of missed shots and turnovers. But their positive numbers simply swamp the negatives. The more efficient Durant may actually be the best player but by joining a team that was already star-studded, he hurt his chances for MVP. The Warriors already have one less loss than they had in last year’s regular season: how could a guy be MVP if his team’s record gets worse? Is it time to ask the question of which Isaiah Thomas is the better one? (Is it the one with one 'a'?) Meanwhile Carmelo Anthony slipped into the top 50 ahead of Draymond Green and the injured Chris Paul.
Players don’t actually average 48 minutes per game, (BasketballReference.com keeps track of averages per 36 minutes as that’s closer to what a star player will average). But they could play that much in a tight game. These numbers represent what they are capable of doing when their team really needs them to produce. The players are ranked based on total net points. The averages are just a breakdown of their individual skills. I do show the NP per 40 minutes at the end of each line but I’ll ranked them based on the total NP because that’s not a projection based on a rate of production..
Here is a breakdown of what I’ve typed in each case with LeBron James in November as an example: LeBron played 15 games and 539 minutes in those games, an average of 35.9 minutes per game (m). He scored 353 points (p), grabbed 121 rebounds (r ), passed for 140 assists (a), stole 16 balls (s) and blocked 7 shots (b). He attempted 257 field goals and made 128, so he missed 129 (mfg). He attempted 100 free throws and made 72, missing 28 (mft). He had 58 turnovers (to) and 25 personal fouls (pf). I add the positives and subtract the negatives to get 397 net points. I divide 48 by the 539 minutes and multiply each stat by the result. I come up with this:
LeBron James CLE 35.9m 31.4p 10.8r 12.5a 1.4s 0.6b 11.5mfg 2.5mft 5.2to 2.2pf 397NP (35.5)
AFTER JANUARY
James Harden HOU……. 36.4m 37.5p 10.7r 15.1a 1.9s 0.6b 13.5mfg 1.9mft 7.8to 3.5pf 1543NP (37.5)
Russell Westbrook OKC 34.7m 42.5p 14.6r 14.3a 2.1s 0.7b 19.1mfg 2.6mft 7.6to 3.4pf 1463NP (41.3)
Kevin Durant GS….…….. 34.3m 36.8p 11.7r 6.6a 1.7s 2.4b 12.9mfg 1.2mft 3.3to 2.7pf 1407NP (41.1)
Anthony Davis NO……… 36.8m 37.0p 16.4r 3.0a 1.7s 3.1b 13.6mfg 2.5mft 3.4to 3.1pf 1307NP (38.7)
C. J. McCollum POR……. 34.5m 32.5p 5.0r 5.0a 1.6s 0.9b 12.9mfg 0.6mft 3.2to 3.8pf 1258NP (35.0)
DeMarcus Cousins SAC.. 34.4m 39.3p 14.7r 6.2a 1.9s 1.9b 15.6mfg 3.1mft 4.9to 5.1pf 1210NP (35.1)
LeBron James CLE…………37.5m 32.8p 10.3r 10.8a 1.9s 0.7b 11.1mfg 2.8mft 5.1to 2.1pf 1203NP (35.0)
G. Antetokounmopo MIL 35.2m 31.9p 11.9r 7.5a 2.4s 2.7b 10.5mfg 2.1mft 4.1to 4.5pf 1191NP (35.4)
Karl-Anthony Towns MIN 36.4m 30.3p 15.7r 4.0a 0.9s 2.0b 11.5mfg 1.2mft 3.7to 4.0pf 1182NP (32.5)
Jimmy Butler CHI.…………36.8m 32.0p 8.6r 6.2a 2.3s 0.4b 11.9mfg 1.6mft 2.7to 2.1pf 1118NP (31.0)
John Wall WAS……………. 36.2m 30.1p 6.0r 13.7a 2.8s 0.7b 13.1mfg 1.5mft 5.5to 2.6pf 1060NP (30.5)
Kawhi Leonard SA...……. 33.7m 36.5p 8.3r 4.6a 2.5s 1.0b 12.7mfg 0.9mft 2.9to 2.2pf 1055NP (34.2)
Steph Curry GS……………. 33.5m 35.8p 6.2r 8.8a 2.4s 0.3b 13.5mfg 0.5mft 4.3to 3.1pf 1051NP (32.0)
Kyle Lowry TOR…………… 37.5m 29.5p 6.1r 8.9a 2.0s 0.5b 10.4mfg 1.5mft 3.7to 3.6pf 1045NP (27.8)
Isaiah Thomas BOS……… 34.3m 41.1p 3.8r 8.9a 1.2s 0.2b 14.8mfg 1.0mft 3.6to 3.1pf 1028NP (32.7)
Rudy Gobert UTAH……… 33.6m 18.3p 17.9r 1.3a 1.0s 3.6b 3.3mfg 2.9mft 2.6to 4.2pf 1000NP (29.1)
DeAndre Jordan LAC…… 31.8m 18.6p 20.8r 1.7a 0.8s 2.6b 3.2mfg 3.9mft 2.3to 4.0pf 994NP (31.2)
DeMar DeRozen TOR…… 35.4m 37.7p 7.3r 5.3a 1.6s 0.2b 15.2mfg 1.8mft 3.2to 2.6pf 971NP (29.3)
Damian Lillard POR……… 35.6m 35.2p 6.3r 7.9a 1.0s 0.4b 14.4mfg 1.0mft 3.6to 2.9pf 967NP (29.0)
Kemba Walker CHA……… 34.0m 32.8p 5.9r 7.7a 1.7s 0.4b 13.9mfg 1.1mft 3.2to 2.2pf 951NP (28.0)
Marc Gasol MEM………… 34.3m 29.0p 8.5r 5.8a 1.4s 2.1b 12.0mfg 1.3mft 3.0to 3.3pf 939NP (27.3)
Andre Drummond DET… 30.8m 22.7p 21.5r 1.8a 2.6s 1.9b 8.6mfg 4.0mft 3.1to 4.6pf 911NP (30.2)
Hassan Whiteside MIA… 33.2m 24.0p 19.9r 1.0a 1.1s 3.0b 8.4mfg 3.0mft 3.0to 4.5pf 909NP (29.9)
Eric Bledsoe PHO…………. 33.3m 30.5p 7.7r 9.0a 2.1s 0.7b 12.8mfg 1.5mft 4.5to 3.9pf 893NP (26.9)
Carmelo Anthony NY…… 34.5m 32.8p 8.7r 4.2a 1.2s 0.6b 15.1mfg 1.2mft 2.7to 3.8pf 872NP (25.3)
Comments: Harden and Westbrook continue to put up amazing numbers across the board – including incredible numbers of missed shots and turnovers. But their positive numbers simply swamp the negatives. The more efficient Durant may actually be the best player but by joining a team that was already star-studded, he hurt his chances for MVP. The Warriors already have one less loss than they had in last year’s regular season: how could a guy be MVP if his team’s record gets worse? Is it time to ask the question of which Isaiah Thomas is the better one? (Is it the one with one 'a'?) Meanwhile Carmelo Anthony slipped into the top 50 ahead of Draymond Green and the injured Chris Paul.
