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New advanced defensive metrics: James Harden was a poor defender in '13-'14

Discussion in 'Houston Rockets: Game Action & Roster Moves' started by lightningbolt, Feb 24, 2015.

  1. Blurr#7

    Blurr#7 Contributing Member

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    I think this can be a little misleading. There are two factors here, one is the lack of post play by centers in general and the skillset of the new big man. It's not uncommon for a center now to hit a 15ft jumpshot. Thruth is from a coaching perspective I want Dwight to come out to defend, leaving the paint open for drives and offensive rebounds.
     
  2. WinkFan

    WinkFan Contributing Member

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    Could be that it's easier to defend bench players.
     
  3. Sydeffect

    Sydeffect Member

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    It makes me wonder how SportsVU considers someone a "defensive assignment" and how reliable it currently is. Like lets say on a pick and roll Harden has to switch immediately, while he's switching his player takes and makes a shot. Is that still his man?

    Because according to his defensive tracking stats from last season

    His defensive FGA was 11.9. Opponents shot an avg of 42.4% vs him which was 2.3% less than those players regular averages. That indicates he was a good defender despite what the eye test shows.


    This season:

    His defensive FGA was 12.2. Opponents shot an AVG of 42.6% vs him which is 2% less than those players avg.


    And then if you use another stat like Defensive RPM, he was among the worst SG's in terms of defense last season. This season his DRPM is above average.

    (Pat bev's DRPM is -0.7 something this season)

    I wonder if it's truly possible to get a stat to truly measure a players defensive impact while trying to account for team defense.
     
  4. Ziggy

    Ziggy QUEEN ANON

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    Old data presented as if it were new. Conveniently released the moment Harden's MVP campaign gains its highest amount of momentum so radio stations across the nation can collectively use it to slander Harden without having to delve into the source material.
     
  5. HardenHardon

    HardenHardon Member

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    Yeah, it is a global conspiracy. :rolleyes:

    Some of the most tin-foil hat wearing knuckle-draggers on this site, I swear.
     
  6. glimmertwins

    glimmertwins Member

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    I said it before, I'll say it again - Harden could be the first person ever in sports to lose an MVP vote because of a viral video.
     
  7. ooooaaaah!

    ooooaaaah! Member

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    [​IMG]

    Why do you want Dwight to come out and defend? He has by himself shutdown the paint unlike any other player in the NBA. You would be potentially sacrifice paint shots for mid-range shots. Statistics according to Morey ball show that mid-range shots are the worst, which is essentially what you want.
     
  8. ooooaaaah!

    ooooaaaah! Member

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    I would love to see Harden's defensive shot chart for this year to see the improvement.

    I knew Chris Paul was an amazing defender but the defensive shot chart makes Chris Paul look that much more impressive as a player.

    [​IMG]
     
  9. Easy

    Easy Boban Only Fan
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    I think the metric compares the offensive player's performance against said defender to the same player's average. So it supposedly has nothing to do with who the defender defends.

    That said, it is possible that some star players might be able to up their defense if they only had to concentrate on defense like some bench players. Also, bench players typically play less minutes than star players. So bench players do have the energy advantage.
     
  10. WinkFan

    WinkFan Contributing Member

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    That is true for the shotcharts. It's not clear for the points against list.
     
  11. Sydeffect

    Sydeffect Member

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    I wonder how much more different his shotchart would look this season.

    His off-ball defense is still a bit wonky (not as bad this season), but his on-ball defense has to be considered above-average at least.
     
  12. Blurr#7

    Blurr#7 Contributing Member

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    You wouldn't but from the chart it looks like they're hitting at an above average clip. Then there's the defensive 3 second violation, it's a no brainer to try to pull him away from the rim.
     
  13. ooooaaaah!

    ooooaaaah! Member

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    I get that, so if the league avg is 32% and they hit it at 35%, it lights up as orange. It still could make it an ideal shot. I guess what wouldn't be clear is how the help defense would affect these charts since these guys don't defend in a vacuum. Would Dwight still have orange mid-range shots on another team that has better help on mid-range shots? It looks like Hibbert and Duncan also have above avg. percentages for defense on mid-range shots.
     

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