| Rebounding From Bad Stats Authored by Kevin Broom - November 7, 2005 - 11:22 am
| Current Featured Columns | | Final Thoughts On The 2008 NBA Draft This year's draft was decidedly more calm and casual than the Oden/Durant showdown, which made for a more candid and personal experience.
Grading The Deal: Knicks Sign DuhonThe Knicks overpaid for a below average starting point guard, but the move should still pay dividends.
 |
Oh Danny Boy
Danny Granger, who has just three years of NBA experience under his belt, will undoubtedly be the man in Indiana beginning this summer.
|
 |
$10 Million For Five Players?
The Orlando Magic will be limited by the NBA's Luxury Tax in terms of filling the remaining spots on their roster. It is also possible it could cost them Keyon Dooling or Maurice Evans.
|
 |
Raptorland’s New Carnivore
The Raptors are bringing in a player who will have an immediate impact (unlike Hibbert or whomever the Raptors would’ve drafted at 17), plays a position of need (unlike Ford,) and carries a reputation of intimidation (unlike Nesterovic).
|
|
More from RealGM's Columnists
|
| |
The Wizards led the NBA in offensive rebounds last season despite their opponents shooting 45.9 percent from the field -- 24th in the league. So far this season, Washington leads the league in opponent field goal percentage (34.8). So there are more rebounds to be had, but the Wizards have yet to take advantage.
There are several things wrong with this passage. First, while it's true that Washington led the league in offensive rebounds last season, it's not meaningful because season totals and per game averages do not account for pace differences. For example, last season the Wizards had 1133 offensive rebounds while Seattle had just 844. The Wizards are better on the offensive glass, right? Well, no. Seattle was among the league's slowest-paced teams last season (possessions per game) while the Wizards were among the league's fastest-paced teams. Using offensive rebounding percentage as the measure (offensive rebounds / offensive rebounds + opponent defensive rebounds), Seattle ranked as the league's best offensive rebounding team, while the Wizards were fifth.
Second problem: the offensive rebounding stats are mentioned in the same sentence as a stat about opponent field goal percentage, and the two stats have nothing to do with each other. They happen on different ends of the floor. The Wizards are holding opponents to a lower shooting percentage, and that does create more rebounding opportunities, but those facts have nothing to do with offensive rebounding.
Carter then includes a truly delusional quote from Gilbert Arenas:
"We were a great rebounding team last year so teams are really making it a point to attack the boards on us," said Arenas, who has 13 rebounds in three games. "As guards, we're going to have to do a better job of boxing our man out and then getting back there and helping out. That's how we can get out running and get into our offense."
Hmm, a "great rebounding team?" Hopefully Gil was misquoted. Or the recorder malfunctioned. The Wizards were a good offensive rebounding team last season (fifth in offensive rebounding percentage), and a terrible defensive rebounding team (25th in defensive rebounding percentage).
Within this same article were some good observations about how the Knicks were sending four men to the offensive glass, and the need for guards to box out. Still, the article was a missed opportunity to bolster a strong analytical point with statistical information.
Kevin Broom is a senior writer at RealGM.com and columnist for WizFans.com. He can be reached at kevinbroom@realgm.com.
|
