I can appreciate the methodology and the analytics here. If I was a casino you would be at least a consultant, if not on staff. But...where is the fun, the joy, the magic? It's like reducing Kind of Blue to mathematical equations. How can you quantify Fox and DeRozan in the fourth quarter? Or Jalen Brown just willing a shot in with two defenders draped on him? Rookie centers playing above their heads, point guards with post up games, Jay freaking Huff! The games still have to be played by humans, and every single one can be an ex-factor, a wild card. So we watch for those moments, The numbers are great for planning but the hooping is what satisfies.
No disagreements here. I like watching the NBA for many of the same reasons you do, but I also like writing about things that are interesting to me -- and i hope at least a few other people. If you're interested in writing that's more about the magic of basketball I dont think anyone does it better than Tom Ziller on Substack (https://ziller.substack.com/). Thanks for reading, Barron
It's good to know you appreciate the game on an aesthetic level. There are so many deep dives into every statistic in sports (just like real life) that the artistry and competition gets lost. Tom Ziller is my morning basketball caffeine!
I think a large factor in the increase in off-the-dribble 3s comes from players adopting the "Harden gather-step" (a move that often should be called a travel, in my opinion).
When Harden first started doing this, it was often a step-back. Now, players are finding it to be even more effective as a side-step.
Prior to ~5 years ago, an "off-the-dribble 3" actually had to come off of a dribble. Now, players are being allowed to pick up the ball then take a large stride away from their defender, getting their shot off any time in a way that is nearly unguardable.
Tyrese Haliburton is another great example. He has a pretty slow release, and shoots a "set shot". He is able to get this shot off, off-the-dribble, in a way that players would not have attempted (and likely would have been called a travel) until recently.
I can appreciate the methodology and the analytics here. If I was a casino you would be at least a consultant, if not on staff. But...where is the fun, the joy, the magic? It's like reducing Kind of Blue to mathematical equations. How can you quantify Fox and DeRozan in the fourth quarter? Or Jalen Brown just willing a shot in with two defenders draped on him? Rookie centers playing above their heads, point guards with post up games, Jay freaking Huff! The games still have to be played by humans, and every single one can be an ex-factor, a wild card. So we watch for those moments, The numbers are great for planning but the hooping is what satisfies.
No disagreements here. I like watching the NBA for many of the same reasons you do, but I also like writing about things that are interesting to me -- and i hope at least a few other people. If you're interested in writing that's more about the magic of basketball I dont think anyone does it better than Tom Ziller on Substack (https://ziller.substack.com/). Thanks for reading, Barron
It's good to know you appreciate the game on an aesthetic level. There are so many deep dives into every statistic in sports (just like real life) that the artistry and competition gets lost. Tom Ziller is my morning basketball caffeine!
I think a large factor in the increase in off-the-dribble 3s comes from players adopting the "Harden gather-step" (a move that often should be called a travel, in my opinion).
When Harden first started doing this, it was often a step-back. Now, players are finding it to be even more effective as a side-step.
Prior to ~5 years ago, an "off-the-dribble 3" actually had to come off of a dribble. Now, players are being allowed to pick up the ball then take a large stride away from their defender, getting their shot off any time in a way that is nearly unguardable.
The prototypical example of this is Jayson Tatum, as this is his "signature move" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7o0euvFgE5A).
Tyrese Haliburton is another great example. He has a pretty slow release, and shoots a "set shot". He is able to get this shot off, off-the-dribble, in a way that players would not have attempted (and likely would have been called a travel) until recently.