NBA Draft: Is Cody Zeller Worth the Hype?

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There’s a lot of hype surrounding Cody Zeller. He’s the college hoops pre-season cover boy for Sports Illustrated and ESPN the Mag. A look at the mocks suggests he’s considered one of the top prospects in the nation. Zeller is pretty much a fixture in the top 5, along with Noel, Muhammad and McAdoo. The mocks will change as the season progresses. Some players will fade and others will emerge. This happens every year and 2013 seems set for more fluidity than usual, due to the abnormally large … [Read more...] about NBA Draft: Is Cody Zeller Worth the Hype?

Unskewing the Stats: Jarnell Stokes and Alex Len

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The raw statistics I start with when evaluating college prospects are skewed. The per game statistics that are the basis for handing out awards and a lot of the quickie analysis we see and hear in the media never tell the entire story. That’s why we start the unskewing process by turning per game numbers into per minute numbers. Those numbers are then adjusted for pace, because a team that plays at a fast pace is going to put up more impressive numbers than a team that slows it down. It’s also a … [Read more...] about Unskewing the Stats: Jarnell Stokes and Alex Len

NBA Draft 2013: Early Look at the Incoming Freshmen

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This could be an exercise in futility here, but I’m going to attempt to analyze the 2013 incoming freshmen based on stats compiled in the all-star games. This process will probably play out somewhat like trying to predict the rookie of the year from summer league play. That’s always been kind of a joke. The reason is the games played in the summer league are played for a different reason than the games played for real. The same is true with the high school all-star games. They’re a talent … [Read more...] about NBA Draft 2013: Early Look at the Incoming Freshmen

Quick Thoughts

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1.  Harden Times: I’ve been away from hoops for a while, unfortunately, but this seems like the perfect time to return.  The season is starting, which is good news in itself, and a lot is also going on, most notably, the trade of James Harden to Houston.  What to make of this move?  Bill Simmons wrote a column taking OKC apart for the trade as a missed opportunity to nurture that third star that most title teams have.  I don’t necessarily think that Simmons is wrong but the decision is not quite … [Read more...] about Quick Thoughts

NBA 2013 Preview: Eastern Conference

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In the post-Jordan Bulls NBA the East has been inferior to the West. That will continue this season and into the foreseeable future. The West is full of smart, creative GMs who can quickly make a bad team good. The East roster of GMs is full of guys in their 2nd or 3rd stints in the job. They are often ex-players who have experienced more failures than successes in their executive careers. They continue to draft and trade their teams into the lottery and hope for a big score there. They’re the … [Read more...] about NBA 2013 Preview: Eastern Conference

NBA 2013 Preview: Western Conference

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I had my Western Conference preview all set. Things were pretty simple and easy to predict. I had the Thunder winning the West and starting a dynasty. It made sense. They were a super-talented, well-coached team with smart management. Then the trade happened.  Suddenly the West is wide open. More analysis on the trade in the Rockets and Thunders blurbs below. As for the West, it’s incredibly competitive this year. The reason for this is all the smart, creative front offices are in the West. … [Read more...] about NBA 2013 Preview: Western Conference

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