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 MARCH
Russell Westbrook OKC 34.8m 43.8p 14.6r 14.4a 2.3s 0.5b 19.1mfg 2.3mft 7.5to 3.2pf 2365NP (43.5)
James Harden HOU……. 36.5m 38.3p 10.6r 14.7a 2.0s 0.6b 14.0mfg 2.1mft 7.6to 3.4pf 2258NP (39.1)
Anthony Davis NO……… 36.2m 36.9p 15.9r 2.9a 1.7s 3.0b 13.2mfg 2.3mft 3.3to 3.0pf 2093NP (38.6)
LeBron James CLE………..37.4m 33.5p 10.8r 11.2a 1.6s 0.7b 10.6mfg 3.0mft 5.3to 2.2pf 1975NP (36.8)
Karl-Anthony Towns MIN 37.0m 33.1p 15.7r 3.5a 0.7s 1.2b 10.9mfg 1.2mft 3.4to 3.8pf 1974NP (34.6)
G. Antetokounmopo MIL 35.6m 31.2p 11.6r 7.2a 2.2s 2.6b 10.2mfg 2.3mft 3.8to 4.3pf 1900NP (34.2)
John Wall WAS……………. 30.7m 30.6p 5.6r 14.0a 2.7s 0.8b 13.4mfg 1.7mft 5.4to 2.5pf 1728NP (36.6)
DeMarcus Cousins SAC.. 34.1m 37.9p 15.4r 6.4a 2.0s 1.9b 15.4mfg 3.1mft 5.2to 2.5pf 1719NP (34.6)
Kevin Durant GS….…….. 33.6m 36.2p 11.8r 6.9a 1.6s 2.4b 11.0mfg 1.1mft 3.2to 2.7pf 1678NP (40.7)
Steph Curry GS……………. 32.1m 35.8p 6.5r 9.4a 2.6s 0.3b 8.5mfg 0.6mft 4.4to 3.4pf 1660NP (32.1)
Jimmy Butler CHI.…………36.9m 30.6p 8.1r 7.1a 2.5s 0.5b 11.6mfg 1.6mft 2.7to 1.9pf 1641NP (30.9)
Kawhi Leonard SA...……. 33.8m 36.7p 8.4r 5.0a 2.6s 1.0b 13.2mfg 1.3mft 3.0to 2.3pf 1630NP (34.0)
Rudy Gobert UTAH……… 34.0m 19.6p 18.2r 1.7a 0.9s 3.7b 3.6mfg 3.0mft 2.6to 4.3pf 1621NP (30.5)
DeAndre Jordan LAC…… 31.6m 19.1p 20.7r 1.8a 0.9s 2.6b 3.1mfg 4.0mft 2.6to 4.0pf 1589NP (31.8)
Isaiah Thomas BOS……… 34.2m 41.1p 3.7r 8.3a 1.3s 0.2b 14.8mfg 1.1mft 3.8to 3.2pf 1581NP (29.8)
Hassan Whiteside MIA… 32.6m 24.7p 20.7r 1.0a 1.1s 3.1b 8.1mfg 2.5mft 3.0to 4.3pf 1578NP (32.6)
Damian Lillard POR……… 35.8m 35.8p 6.5r 7.8a 1.2s 0.4b 14.5mfg 1.0mft 3.6to 2.7pf 1561NP (29.9)
DeMar DeRozen TOR…… 35.5m 37.1p 7.3r 5.2a 1.4s 0.2b 15.2mfg 1.9mft 3.2to 2.5pf 1454NP (28.5)
Kemba Walker CHA……… 34.7m 31.8p 5.5r 7.6a 1.4s 0.4b 14.1mfg 0.9mft 3.0to 2.1pf 1450NP (26.8)
Andre Drummond DET… 30.0m 22.3p 22.3r 1.7a 2.5s 1.8b 8.5mfg 4.3mft 3.1to 4.7pf 1431NP (30.0)
Eric Bledsoe PHO…………. 33.0m 30.7p 7.1r 9.2a 2.0s 0.7b 12.9mfg 1.5mft 4.9to 3.6pf 1390NP (30.7)
Kyrie Irving CLE……………. 34.9m 35.3p 4.5r 8.0a 1.6s 0.5b 14.6mfg 0.6mft 3.6to 3.0pf 1343NP (28.1)
Dwight Howard ATL……..30.0m 21.6p 20.7r 2.3a 1.5s 2.0b 4.9mfg 4.4mft 3.6to 4.5pf 1323NP (30.7)
Marc Gasol MEM………… 34.6m 27.6p 8.7r 6.3a 1.7s 1.8b 11.9mfg 1.0mft 3.1to 3.2pf 1308NP (26.3)
Gordon Hayward UTA…. 34.6m 30.2p 7.7r 4.8a 1.4s 0.4b 11.7mfg 1.3mft 2.7to 2.2pf 1306NP (26.6)
FYI:
Carmelo Anthony NY…… 34.5m 31.3p 8.2r 4.0a 1.2s 0.6b 14.7mfg 1.1Mft 2.9to 3.7pf 1169NP (22.9)
Comments: I don’t see how Westbrook can be denied the MVP, even if Harden’s team has a better record. The Thunder, without Durant is still 45-33 so that’s not really a black mark on Westbrook’s record. Westbrook misses more shots than anyone and both eh and Harden have a tremendous amount of turnovers but both overwhelm those deficits with unmatched production.
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 MARCH
Russell Westbrook OKC 34.8m 43.8p 14.6r 14.4a 2.3s 0.5b 19.1mfg 2.3mft 7.5to 3.2pf 2365NP (43.5)
James Harden HOU……. 36.5m 38.3p 10.6r 14.7a 2.0s 0.6b 14.0mfg 2.1mft 7.6to 3.4pf 2258NP (39.1)
Anthony Davis NO……… 36.2m 36.9p 15.9r 2.9a 1.7s 3.0b 13.2mfg 2.3mft 3.3to 3.0pf 2093NP (38.6)
LeBron James CLE………..37.4m 33.5p 10.8r 11.2a 1.6s 0.7b 10.6mfg 3.0mft 5.3to 2.2pf 1975NP (36.8)
Karl-Anthony Towns MIN 37.0m 33.1p 15.7r 3.5a 0.7s 1.2b 10.9mfg 1.2mft 3.4to 3.8pf 1974NP (34.6)
G. Antetokounmopo MIL 35.6m 31.2p 11.6r 7.2a 2.2s 2.6b 10.2mfg 2.3mft 3.8to 4.3pf 1900NP (34.2)
John Wall WAS……………. 30.7m 30.6p 5.6r 14.0a 2.7s 0.8b 13.4mfg 1.7mft 5.4to 2.5pf 1728NP (36.6)
DeMarcus Cousins SAC.. 34.1m 37.9p 15.4r 6.4a 2.0s 1.9b 15.4mfg 3.1mft 5.2to 2.5pf 1719NP (34.6)
Kevin Durant GS….…….. 33.6m 36.2p 11.8r 6.9a 1.6s 2.4b 11.0mfg 1.1mft 3.2to 2.7pf 1678NP (40.7)
Steph Curry GS……………. 32.1m 35.8p 6.5r 9.4a 2.6s 0.3b 8.5mfg 0.6mft 4.4to 3.4pf 1660NP (32.1)
Jimmy Butler CHI.…………36.9m 30.6p 8.1r 7.1a 2.5s 0.5b 11.6mfg 1.6mft 2.7to 1.9pf 1641NP (30.9)
Kawhi Leonard SA...……. 33.8m 36.7p 8.4r 5.0a 2.6s 1.0b 13.2mfg 1.3mft 3.0to 2.3pf 1630NP (34.0)
Rudy Gobert UTAH……… 34.0m 19.6p 18.2r 1.7a 0.9s 3.7b 3.6mfg 3.0mft 2.6to 4.3pf 1621NP (30.5)
DeAndre Jordan LAC…… 31.6m 19.1p 20.7r 1.8a 0.9s 2.6b 3.1mfg 4.0mft 2.6to 4.0pf 1589NP (31.8)
Isaiah Thomas BOS……… 34.2m 41.1p 3.7r 8.3a 1.3s 0.2b 14.8mfg 1.1mft 3.8to 3.2pf 1581NP (29.8)
Hassan Whiteside MIA… 32.6m 24.7p 20.7r 1.0a 1.1s 3.1b 8.1mfg 2.5mft 3.0to 4.3pf 1578NP (32.6)
Damian Lillard POR……… 35.8m 35.8p 6.5r 7.8a 1.2s 0.4b 14.5mfg 1.0mft 3.6to 2.7pf 1561NP (29.9)
DeMar DeRozen TOR…… 35.5m 37.1p 7.3r 5.2a 1.4s 0.2b 15.2mfg 1.9mft 3.2to 2.5pf 1454NP (28.5)
Kemba Walker CHA……… 34.7m 31.8p 5.5r 7.6a 1.4s 0.4b 14.1mfg 0.9mft 3.0to 2.1pf 1450NP (26.8)
Andre Drummond DET… 30.0m 22.3p 22.3r 1.7a 2.5s 1.8b 8.5mfg 4.3mft 3.1to 4.7pf 1431NP (30.0)
Eric Bledsoe PHO…………. 33.0m 30.7p 7.1r 9.2a 2.0s 0.7b 12.9mfg 1.5mft 4.9to 3.6pf 1390NP (30.7)
Kyrie Irving CLE……………. 34.9m 35.3p 4.5r 8.0a 1.6s 0.5b 14.6mfg 0.6mft 3.6to 3.0pf 1343NP (28.1)
Dwight Howard ATL……..30.0m 21.6p 20.7r 2.3a 1.5s 2.0b 4.9mfg 4.4mft 3.6to 4.5pf 1323NP (30.7)
Marc Gasol MEM………… 34.6m 27.6p 8.7r 6.3a 1.7s 1.8b 11.9mfg 1.0mft 3.1to 3.2pf 1308NP (26.3)
Gordon Hayward UTA…. 34.6m 30.2p 7.7r 4.8a 1.4s 0.4b 11.7mfg 1.3mft 2.7to 2.2pf 1306NP (26.6)
FYI:
Carmelo Anthony NY…… 34.5m 31.3p 8.2r 4.0a 1.2s 0.6b 14.7mfg 1.1Mft 2.9to 3.7pf 1169NP (22.9)
Comments: I don’t see how Westbrook can be denied the MVP, even if Harden’s team has a better record. The Thunder, without Durant is still 45-33 so that’s not really a black mark on Westbrook’s record. Westbrook misses more shots than anyone and both eh and Harden have a tremendous amount of turnovers but both overwhelm those deficits with unmatched production.