Comments on: Andre Drummond’s lack of playing time masks a deserving All-Star

By: G

Mon, 28 Jan 2013 13:43:53 +0000

Let’s all back up a minute. Drummond has been great in limited minutes, but it’s not exactly like he’s carrying the team. There are moments when he carries the team defensively, but would you say he’s more deserving than Brook Lopez? Because Lopez has amped up his defense and is the leading scorer on a team on track to make the playoffs. Plus he’s 4th in the league in PER, behind 3 guys who are MVP candidates.

You make a nice case, Sunnergren, but who in the East would you take out so Drummond could have a spot? Garnett, Chandler, Bosh, or Noah? Remember, Lopez doesn’t have a spot and certainly deserves to go ahead of Drummond.

By: Dan Feldman

Dan Feldman — Sat, 26 Jan 2013 06:03:43 +0000

Believe me, I could have been much more condescending with a little effort.

By: Dan Feldman

Dan Feldman — Sat, 26 Jan 2013 06:03:11 +0000

There are other reasons, some of which are articulated pretty well here, but one big thing that grates me about Wins Produced: It fails to account for situations when harshly punishing players for making mistakes.

To use an example, let’s look at the Spurs their top player from last season according to WP, Kawhi Leonard.

Sometimes, turnovers are more likely to happen. Sometimes, missed shots are more likely to happen. In those situations, do you think the Spurs put the ball in Leonard’s hands? Of course not.

When the opponent was pressing and trapping effectively, Leonard didn’t have the ball. Tony Parker did. Maybe that meant Parker would get more turnovers individually, but the Spurs were less likely to turn over the ball.

When the opponent was defending well and the shot clock was running down, Leonard didn’t have the ball. Tim Duncan did. Maybe that meant Duncan would miss more shots, but the Spurs were less likely to miss a shot.

Those volatile situations occur many times each game, but players don’t take turns dealing with them. Teams, wisely, get the ball to their top players in those circumstances.

So, while Duncan and Parker are accumulating extra turnovers and missed shots when the going gets tough, Leonard is standing off to the side protecting his WP.

Leonard is a good, efficient player. But — to exaggerate a bit for effect — he handles the ball only when unharassed and shoots only when open. If all the Spurs operated that way, San Antonio would have a lot of 24-second and five-second violations.

By: brgulker

brgulker — Sat, 26 Jan 2013 01:09:31 +0000

Also, the implications of that comment are … pretty dickish. Not sure you could have sounded more condescending had you tried.

By: bugsygod

bugsygod — Sat, 26 Jan 2013 01:00:23 +0000

Yup!

By: brgulker

brgulker — Sat, 26 Jan 2013 00:53:46 +0000

Ed: It should tell you how much I respect Tom’s work that I take him seriously even though he’s a Wins Produced believer.

What, exactly, is a Wins Produced believer?

Belief has absolutely nothing to do with it.

By: vic

vic — Sat, 26 Jan 2013 00:24:28 +0000

out of curiosity, what’s your beef with WINS produced?

By: Brigs

Brigs — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 23:26:15 +0000

So to shorten that all up Andre Drummond is the shit

By: Mark

Mark — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 23:15:01 +0000

Which I already knew was true. I get the politics, but if you’re just taking the best big men in the league over the 1st half, like an all-star roster is supposed to be, then he is definitely among those best.

If we’re talking about something else like popularity and flashy offense as defining all-stars, then I don’t know what the point of the game even is.

By: Mark

Mark — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 23:11:13 +0000

Glad there are some national writers who see what we’ve all been seeing. Even if you ignore all the numbers and just watch him play, he impacts the game as much or more than any big man in the whole league. If that isn’t a definition of an all-star, then the whole selection system is a sham.