A Closer Look at Load Management

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Each year, NBA teams rest players more and more, particularly in road games, under the concept of load management.  The teams have shown great reluctance to play their stars (and even some non-star players) despite the fact that the players have no apparent injuries.  The most recent example comes from the Lakers, who will sit Anthony Davis and LeBron James in Brooklyn, even though they were off the prior day. The teams insist that they are taking reasonable steps to protect their … [Read more...] about A Closer Look at Load Management

The Warriors and Extreme Home/Road Splits

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With a win in Cleveland yesterday, the Warriors “improved” to 6-18 on the road against an impressive 17-5 home record, which adds up to a .500 team.   That got me wondering if the Warriors’ extreme splits were relatively.  In theory, it is not exactly shocking to see a team play much better at home.  It has long been noted that NBA teams play better at home.  So far, only six teams are above .500 on the road and the Warriors have a pretty big split there are plenty of … [Read more...] about The Warriors and Extreme Home/Road Splits

PJ Tucker and Adventures in Low Usage

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1.  Adventures In Low Usage, PJ Tucker:  Despite the high powered offensive era in which the NBA currently operates, PJ Tucker stubbornly refuses to shoot.  Currently, Tucker has started all 31 games he has played and racked up 28.5 mpg, yet he is averaging only 3.1 shots per game, which yields a miniscule 6.5% usage rate.  His shot creation is absurdly low: 100% of his baskets so far have been assisted.  Tucker’s other advanced stats are pretty gross as well: 5.0 PER, … [Read more...] about PJ Tucker and Adventures in Low Usage

More On Kyrie (Sigh)

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When I first heard about the latest Kyrie Irving controversy, I shrugged and basically ignored it. I’ve long been tired of Kyrie’s off-court baggage going back to his flat-Earth days and was hoping this most recent outburst would be given similar weight by the public and quickly dismissed.  The NBA and the Nets were clearly hoping the same, as they did not initially come down very hard on Irving and, instead, put out generic statements against anti-Semitism, without confronting Kyrie. … [Read more...] about More On Kyrie (Sigh)

NBA 2022-23: Western Conference Preview

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We turn now to part 2 of our NBA preview, the Western Conference.  I find the West even more difficult  to predict than the East.  Yes, the Warriors are good but it’s hard not to remember that they were shaky coming into the 2021-22 playoffs and they rely on some very veteran players.  On top of that, at least five teams can make a credible argument that they will win 50 or more games.  So, let’s dive in to some assorted questions…. Could six or more Western … [Read more...] about NBA 2022-23: Western Conference Preview

NBA 2022-23: Eastern Conference Preview

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With each season of the 2020s, the NBA becomes more and more opaque.  The 2021-22 Warriors were a very good team but were nowhere near as dominant as their prior iterations.  But Golden State, like most of the good teams, has a decent argument that it can win the 2022-23 title.  There are plenty of title-worthy teams but no prohibitive favorite and compelling arguments against nearly every team. Today, let’s run through the some assorted burning questions and predictions for … [Read more...] about NBA 2022-23: Eastern Conference Preview

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