Basketball Statistics Blog

Friday Press Clippings:
At Which Positions Are Great Players the Most Important?

From Basketball Statistics.com
By Jon Nichols
Download source here: ' At Which Positions Are Great Players the Most Important? '

"... I calculated the average net rating (offensive rating minus defensive rating) of all lineups featuring a player with an Adjusted Plus-Minus of greater than three at each position. ..."

"... The easiest way to understand this is to look at it graphically ..."

"... Things get especially interesting when you look at the home/road splits. At home, small forwards still reign supreme. However, the little guys essentially catch up to the big men in terms of importance.

On the road, though, it appears having a solid interior is crucial. The importance of great guards is minimized greatly and centers and power forwards are well ahead of the rest of the pack. ..."

"... A second concern might be the quality of players in each position among those that qualify. In other words, if there are 20 point guards with an Adjusted Plus-Minus above three but they’re all at 3.01, it’s no surprise that they’ll look worse than the other positions. ..."

"... Three of the positions (point guards, power forwards, and centers) are bunched together, one is clearly lower than the rest (small forwards), and one is clearly higher (shooting guards). This evidence further supports the original conclusion I made that small forwards are the most important.

After all, we have the weakest group to choose from at that position yet they still have the most positive effect. On the other hand, there are a lot of excellent shooting guards in the NBA, yet their impact is much less significant. And still, I have yet to find an excuse for point guards. ..."

Read more articles in Basketball Statistics.com.

To read Today's 'Press Clippings' in Spanish, click this week above on the 'Español' tab or afterwards click here: ' Zurdos ilustres: De Dick Motta a Sam Perkins ' by Jorge Roche Comeche .

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