http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-knicks-would-be-crazy-to-trade-kristaps-porzingis/?addata=espn:nba:index
Porzingis’s offensive numbers flattened out in his sophomore season, which may seem like reason for concern. But underneath modest gains to his overall shooting percentage, Porzingis made improvements in key areas. He scored much better around the rim, improving from 57.6 to 70.1 percent on shots from 0 to 3 feet, and from midrange, improving from 40.5 to 48.2 percent from 10 to 16 feet. This was offset by a nosedive on his percentage on long 2s, but he also took fewer of those shots in his second season in favor of more 3-pointers as he adjusted to the NBA 3-point line. Still, he was a good but not exceptional offensive player in a year when fellow young, big stars Karl-Anthony Towns and (especially) Nikola Jokic had breakout seasons.
But while Porzingis has untapped potential on offense, he’s already one of the best defensive players in the league. Here’s a chart showing the defenders who affected opponents’ shot value the most in the regular season1:POINTS AGAINST DEFENDER
DEFENDER EXPECTED ACTUAL DIFF. DIFF. PER GAME
Draymond Green 1066 866 -200 -2.64
Rudy Gobert 1078 903 -175 -2.16
Anthony Davis 839 700 -139 -1.86
Kristaps Porzingis 812 691 -121 -1.84
Hassan Whiteside 885 764 -121 -1.57
Myles Turner 1014 890 -124 -1.53
LaMarcus Aldridge 706 596 -110 -1.53
Andre Roberson 871 758 -113 -1.43
Giannis Antetokounmpo 811 706 -105 -1.32
Which defenders hampered opponents’ shooting the most?
Regular season 2016-17. “Expected” value is what a shooter would make against an average defender.
SOURCE: NBA
Though he isn’t as well known for his defense as peers on this list, his production stands alongside that of some of the best defensive players in the league. Meanwhile, Towns was ranked 79th, and Jokic was 479th out of 485. In an environment where teams are increasingly packing a few specialized skills into their big men, Porzingis’s ability to protect the rim, score inside and stretch the floor make him ready to contribute to a contending team right now, today, even if he isn’t quite ready to carry an offense.
Phil resist the temptation!!
Good post.
One can only hope Phil doesn't trade KP.
Never knew Jokic was that much of a turd defensively.
