Reply to thread

Message: [QUOTE="SUMBA, post: 904355, member: 913"] Mr. Carter-Williams is enjoying a pretty fair rookie season in the NBA. So I was curious to see how his initial campaign compared with Magic Johnson's. Let's goooooo to the videotape (do they still use that?)... [URL='http://espn.go.com/nba/player/_/id/2596108/michael-carter-williams']Michael Carter-Williams[/URL] [URL='http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/j/johnsma02.html']Magic Johnson[/URL] Now, I am not ready to vote MCW into the Hall of Fame, or say that he is as good as Magic. However, after 32 games his stats stack up to Johnson's rookie numbers: Magic averaged 18.0 PPG to MCW's 17.6, and both played in the neighborhood of 35 minutes per game. Magic had an edge in rebounds and assist but the assist to turnover ratio is similar. Magic's FG% is considerably higher, as is his free throw percentage. However, MCW's 3 point shooting percentage is higher than Magic's by quite a bit. Magic's size was an anomaly for a point guard at the time he played. At 6'9" he was the size of some NBA centers. The fact that he had point guard skills made him impossible for guys his size to guard him. Defenders with the skill to guard him in the open court were most often on the short end of a considerable size differential. His ability to post up smaller defenders and to outmaneuver taller ones accounts for his higher FG%. The reason that MCW's 3 point shooting percentage is considerably higher can be explained very simply: Magic's rookie percentage was simply awful at 22.6%. That wasn't his game and daring him to shoot the trey would seem to have been the best way to defend him. MCW's 3 point percentage of 30.6% is slightly below the break even point for that shot but still much better than Mr. Johnson's. So, we will see where MCW finishes his rookie season, there is a lot of hoops to be played. Magic has a clear edge in the numbers but MCW's rookie stats to date are just a tad below those of one of the greatest point guards ever. [/QUOTE]

Verification: What is a Syracuse fan's favorite color?