Harlan Schreiber

First Round Fall Out, Part 1

April 26, 2017 by Harlan Schreiber Leave a Comment

It’s time for our annual review of the fallen…so far three teams have been knocked out of the playoffs. Let’s take a look at each and see where the go from here: 1. Portland Trailblazers: The general perception of the Blazers is that they have really fallen from their solid playoff run of 2015-16. But not much has changed if you look at the general numbers: -2015-16: 44-38 (expected W-L, 43-39), Offense 108.8 (6th), Defense 108.0 (20th) -2016-17: 41-41 (expected W-L, 40-42), Offense … [Read more...] about First Round Fall Out, Part 1

Picking the MVP

April 13, 2017 by Harlan Schreiber Leave a Comment

Who is the 2016-17 NBA MVP? The question is more interesting than in most seasons. There are many different assessments for “value” and, usually, they lead to the same place. Let’s take a look at the basic theories of MVP and see where each of leads us. Who is the best player on the best team? The Warriors were the class of the NBA and Kevin Durant was their best player. Though it is often true that the best player on the best team is the best player in the NBA, this is a lazy way to … [Read more...] about Picking the MVP

NBA and Rest: Is There Science Behind It?

March 24, 2017 by Harlan Schreiber Leave a Comment

The question of resting stars is now boiling in the NBA. We touched on the issue last week and concluded that NBA teams' duty to keep players fresh hasn’t always been properly balanced with their need to keeps fans and networks entertained. Shortly thereafter, Adam Silver passed out a memo to the teams warning that too much rest, without proper notice to the league, could bring back the stiff fines that David Stern used to levy. There were many loud responses. Let’s focus on the responses … [Read more...] about NBA and Rest: Is There Science Behind It?

On Resting Stars and Television Concerns

March 20, 2017 by Harlan Schreiber Leave a Comment

The new normal in the NBA is to give stars copious amounts of rest, even if that means the stars don't play every game. Teams have made sure their stars do not play too many nights in a row and, as a consequence, stars are rested even for marquee national television games. The latest example occurred last Saturday night, when the Cavs sat the big stars for an ABC primetime game and the result was that viewers got to see Kay Felder and not Kyrie Irving in a blowout win for the Clipps. The NBA … [Read more...] about On Resting Stars and Television Concerns

NBA Icons as GMs and Magic Johnson

March 11, 2017 by Harlan Schreiber Leave a Comment

For Lakers fans, there seems to be a palpable sense of excitement connected to the hiring of Magic Johnson as team president. Having a franchise icon help run the show certainly sounds good on paper. Many are quick to point out that being a great player does not mean one will be a good coach and being coach does not mean one will be a great GM (see Jackson, Phil). How effective will the new Lakers front office of Magic and Rob Pelinka end up being? Certainly, Magic’s banal tweets aren’t … [Read more...] about NBA Icons as GMs and Magic Johnson

Down With the Kings? Trading DMC

February 21, 2017 by Harlan Schreiber Leave a Comment

Mercifully, another All-Star game is over and we can now focus in on the homestretch of the 2016-17 season. The next big shoe dropped quickly when it was reported that the Kings dealt DeMarcus Cousins (with Omri Casspi) to the Hornets for Buddy Hield, Tyreke Evans, Langston Galloway, a 2017 first-round pick and a 2017 second-round pick. The initial reaction from most writers/fan has been that the Kings did not get a fair return. Let’s unwrap the deal a bit more and see if that reaction is … [Read more...] about Down With the Kings? Trading DMC