Stiemsma, Stats, and Stuff
by JoshZavadil on Jan 3, 2012 3:33 PM EST
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Sure, it's a small sample-size to look at stats from the first six games of this season. However, that does not detract from the fact that there have been many nice developments with Celtics players. From the emergence of Greg Stiemsma to Avery Bradley's absolutely stifling on-ball defense, the C's have a lot of things to be happy about now that they are 3-3 and .500, finally. Here's a few of those stats, but proceed knowing that, again, this is a small sample-size.
Let's start with the most surprising player this season -- Greg Stiemsma. Greg came into training camp as a bit of a mystery. We knew he played at Wisconsin. We knew he never averaged more than 3.5 points per game and 3.1 rebounds per game while in college. We knew he moved on from college to play in the D-League and a few stints overseas. In the D-League he averaged 8.7 points per game, 7.4 rebounds per game, and 3.6 blocks per game over three seasons. His numbers were even better in the playoffs. Stiemsma averaged 15.0 points per game, 10.7 rebounds per game, and 4.3 blocks per game during the 2009-2010 D-League playoffs. All of those stats can be found in a number of places online. What we didn't know was how Greg would translate his skills into the NBA. Better yet, we weren't even sure if he'd get a chance at the NBA. But Greg came into training camp and impressed all of the right people, and as we saw last night against Washington (and in his debut against New Orleans), he has a knack for doing things the right way and working hard. It's paying off.
Over the span of three appearances this season Stiemsma has tallied a total of 21 points, 17 rebounds (6 of them offensive boards), and 12 blocks. Yes. Twelve blocks in three games. And they haven't come in mop-up duty. He's been blocking veterans stone cold in their tracks. Paul Flannery of WEEI.com had this to say in his recent column on Greg:
Coming into Monday’s game, Stiemsma had blocked 10 shots in 49 minutes, a rate of 7.3 per 36 minutes on the court. Even in a small sample size, that’s a huge number and it provides a dimension the Celtics have sorely lacked over the last few years.
There have been 20 plays involving Stiemsma on offense so far this year. Out of those 20 plays he has taken 14 shots, and made 9-14 (64.3%). That's pretty good for a guy who, according to Flannery in his article, was told to stand in front of the C's in practice and proclaim that he is a shooter (because he was constantly passing up open looks). Looks like he's finally shooting like Doc wanted him to, and it's paying dividends. Stiemsma is averaging 1.15 points per play. 20% of plays involving Greg have led to spot-up attempts (that's four plays), and he's shot 3-4 (75%) off of those chances. Half of Stiemsma's involvement in plays have come off of cuts to the basket or a low-post positiion. He's shot 4-6 (66.7%) on those shots, and has been pretty surprisingly decent as an offensive player when he's cutting or close to the basket. Defensively speaking, Greg still has some work. Opponents matching up with Greg as the primary defender are shooting 10-20 (50%) from the field, and 7-11 (63.6%) of those shots have come from players posting Greg up. JaVale McGee, to put it bluntly, abused Greg in the post quite a few times. Still, his deficiencies defensively have been not quite as noticeable when you take into account his shot blocking skills. Remember, he has twelve blocks this season. Greg is second in the NBA among players playing 15 minutes or more per game with 3.00 blocks a game, and he is first among rookies. With the health of Jermaine O'Neal in question for the duration of this season it will be interesting to see how much work Greg gets with the first unit. He's shown that he can produce. Now, the question that remains to be answered is whether or not he can be consistent. Only time will tell.
Another player that came into this season as a mystery is second-year player, Avery Bradley. Bradley spent a good bit of time in the D-League last year, and it was obvious that he just wasn't ready for "the big time". He rarely took advantage of opportunities presented to him, and he was used mainly as a defensive weapon towards the end of quarters. This season, though, Doc and Danny have remained confident that Avery has developed enough to contribute to this team in some manner. During his nine games with the Maine Red Claws last season, Avery averaged 17.1 points per game, 5.2 assists per game, and 3 steals per game. On January 30th, 2011 he stole the ball nine times in one game. I don't care that it was the D-League. That's impressive.
We've seen those defensive skills at work this season, too. Bradley has been the primary defender 19 times this season, and he is holding his match-up to a pathetic 3-16 shooting. That's 18.8% from the field, and just .53 points per play. Again, yes, it's a small-sample size. Bradley hasn't been used in a lot of situations where he is having to make plays against big-time players. If you saw his work against Jordan Crawford last night during his second stint on the floor, though, you understand just how stifling he can be. Bradley has the potential to be as much of an asset defensively to Boston as Tony Allen was in 2008 and beyond. He doesn't have the size that Allen had, and is nowhere close to being as bulky and strong, but his defense cannot be questioned. He has handled the ball handler off of the pick-and-roll during ten plays this year, and Avery has held his opponent to 2-10 (20%) shooting. He's yet to tally a steal, but during the preseason he made quite a few good plays defensively and even stole the ball twice as the Raptors brought the ball up the floor. Hopefully, we will see much more of that this season.
I'm not going to even write about Avery's offensive performance this season, because quite frankly it's been non-existent. Doc Rivers stated that E'Twaun Moore had topped Avery in the C's pecking order after the blowout loss to the Hornets, but it seems like Avery's defensive capabilities have been able to keep him on the floor. If he can finally begin to understand proper floor spacing, and what to do with the ball in his hands on offense, then I truly think he can be a reliable asset for Boston -- even if it's solely for his defensive abilities.
Both Stiemsma and Avery are doing things (namely during the past three games) that are validating why they have been given roles on this team. They are young. They are energetic. They are hard workers, and with time I think both of them will play themselves into nice roles for Boston. Greg came into Boston as a no-name in the NBA, but he's quickly becoming a fan favorite and developing a nice name for himself in the C's locker room. If Kevin Garnett is praising you then you must be doing something right. As he and Avery continue to work hard and earn time for Boston this season there are sure to be as man "ups" as there are "downs." But sit back, enjoy the ride, and appreciate the hard work these guys are putting in, and watch them as they grow as contributors to this Boston Celtics team.
Be respectful and keep it clean. Thanks.
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Great article
The stats are very revealing
by bbeingphilled on Jan 3, 2012 4:04 PM EST via mobile reply actions
Thanks for the stats
Especially on Stiesma. It’s clearer now why Doc thought he was a “shooter” despite his low college scoring record. I think this guy will be a difference maker this season. I’m also looking forward to games when Avery’s on-ball D turns the tide.
Even with the small sample size
Stiemsma is already the most exciting prospect that the C’s have had in years. His shot blocking is so great that it masks a lot of his deficiencies when it comes to moving his feet on defense. His ability to recover when a smaller player gets by him has made him surprisingly effective at stopping the pick and roll. And on offense his ability to shoot the mid-range jumper fits perfectly into the pick-and-pop style that the team loves.
If he can add some more upper body strength to help handle guys in the post, it sure seems like the sky is the limit for this young buck. Considering how coveted young big men usually are (Darko, Kwame Brown, etc.) it’s downright shocking that he slipped through the cracks. Props to Danny and the rest of the C’s staff for recognizing what most other GMs were missing. Keep it up Steamboat!
by Aluminum Penguin on Jan 3, 2012 4:10 PM EST reply actions
I don't think strength is the issue.
Although it’s adding to the problem.
He just needs to learn to get his position set early. He’s waiting to start fighting for position till it’s too late. Bottom line is, if you beat your man to a spot and he pushes you off it, that’s an offensive foul. He’s gotta learn to fight for that position early, before the man gets the ball and it’s too late.
Strength helps, yes, but learning to use your leverage and get your feet into position earlier are even more important. Hit shot block timing is innate and allows him to recover and make plays not a lot of players can make. The rest will come in time.
"Phil is obviously a good coach. You don't win that many games without being a damn good coach, ... Remember one thing: He's been very fortunate. He picks his spots. That's all I can say." - Red Auerbach
True
Perhaps I’m mistaking lack of strength for a lack of aggression. A few more months of playing with KG might help with that though.
by Aluminum Penguin on Jan 3, 2012 5:46 PM EST up reply actions
Not sure if Greg has attended any big man camps ...
after he left college, if not maybe Ainge can get a hold of some legit center (maybe like old pals Clifford Ray or even Robert Parish) to give Greg some special one on one tutoring on the art of center play, during the course of the season on the side of his regular practice sessions it may help hasten Gregs development and fine tune his center skills on both the offensive and defensive ends of the court.
I agree. He needs to lower his CG on the block
Though obviously more leg strength wouldn’t hurt.
The coaches can work on his technique during this season. KG actually is someone to mimic on setting the block because KG always has to really set with good leg technique to compensate for his own lack of bulk.
There likely won’t be much time to work on weight training until after the season.
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Interesting stats indeed...
Its just a small sample but it shows how promising players both Bradley and Greg potentially are.
Bradleys defense is almost veteran like and I have no worry about that aspect of his game.
I think he does need to get in a better groove on the offensive end of the court as he looks kinda timid and stiff at times, which he should not be since he does have offensive skills as he showed in college and the D league.
I do think Avery needs to work more on his ball handling, passing and point guard skills, which should improve as he grows and develops with more playing time.
I made this comparison before and will do so again, Chauncey Billups when drafted by the C’s had the same problem of lacking great ball handling, passing and shooting skills in his first year in the NBA, but he fine tuned all those skills as he got more playing time and experience in the years after he left the C’s.
Some rookies take time to develop, sometimes several years to fully reach there skill level and potential, so I think this applies with Avery and we must give him some more time to remedy the weak aspects of his game mentioned above and for him to reach his full potential.
I think the Steamer has been a gift sent down from heaven for the C’s as they sorely needed a center and have apparently found one in Greg, for which Ainge deserves praise.
From what we have seen so far, Greg is almost everything you would want in a center as he is athletic, has good vertical jumping ability, can run the floor, can defend well, block and alter shots, rebound , has soft hands to catch passes, finishes strong around the rim on offense with no wasted motion plus he can score from the perimeter and in the paint when he utilizes his jumper and hook shot.
The good news is that Greg just like Avery, could get even better with more playing time and development.
I think Greg, Avery and the C’s other young and promising players like Moore, JJ and Bass provide the C’s a nice core of young players to help the C’s build around as they seek to rebuild, which as we all know is right around the corner.
Expanding a bit on Steamer's stats.
What’s pretty remarkable is if you extrapolate on his block #s per 48.
Steamer right now is second overall in BPG at 3.00, averaging only 17 minutes a game right now. That’s a BP48M of a remarkable 8.23. Furthermore, he has only 13 personal fouls on the season, meaning right now he’s averaging just under 1 block per foul in a game. By comparison, other leaders in that category like Javale McGee and Tyson Chandler average nearly 2 fouls per 1 block. Each at a .63 and .65 BLK/PF, respectively. Pretty remarkable numbers, really.
Small sample, yes. Perhaps it’s not sustainable, but regardless, it’s been impressive so far.
"Phil is obviously a good coach. You don't win that many games without being a damn good coach, ... Remember one thing: He's been very fortunate. He picks his spots. That's all I can say." - Red Auerbach
by Sizzlack on Jan 3, 2012 5:57 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Yea those are impressive shot blocking numbers...
and they may not be sustainable once teams learn more about Greg’s shot blocking abilities.
I assume future scouting reports on Greg will probably help opposing teams make adjustments to avoid there shots from getting blocked at such a high rate as they do now.
But even if Greg slows down a bit and blocks shots at a lesser clip then he is now , it apparently is clear from his play over the years and now as a Celtic, that he still will be a solid shot blocker.
Good points, and...
if Stiesma can force people out of what they want to do, that’s a plus, too.
yeah
no doubt about it, the kid is gonna block shots. let’s hope he’s anything near ben wallace in his day. wallace couldn’t score for nothin, so it’d be a real coup if this kid can keep that jumper poppin
by Benjamin Barak on Jan 3, 2012 11:42 PM EST up reply actions
We already started to see that in games already
even in the NOH game, I remember very distinctly a play where Kaman drove and then altered his shot at the last minute, clearly anticipating Stiemsma’s block. He missed the shot, we got the rebound and Rondo went the distance for a layup.
In this latest Wizard’s game, the play where Wall did indeed make a fantastic drive for a dunk ‘over’ Stiemsma, he actually did alter his move at the end and still managed to score. But here’s the thing – he had to make the ‘spectacular’ play out of, again, fear of the block.
These little things show that Stiemsma already is getting ‘rep’ which will cause people to change the way they attack the rim. Usually that’s going to be to their detriment. Altered shots tend to be missed shots.
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I still don't understand why they don't keep a stat on that.
Shots altered is just as important as shots blocked.
I mean football doesn’t keep stats only for interceptions, CBs get passes defended tracked as well.
"Phil is obviously a good coach. You don't win that many games without being a damn good coach, ... Remember one thing: He's been very fortunate. He picks his spots. That's all I can say." - Red Auerbach
calm down
I like the Steamer’s attitude, but he is nowhere near good yet.
On offense, he has shown no low post game. None. Pick and pop centers are ok, but limited. We need a presence inside. No sign of any from Steamer.
I have not seen a lot of nice picks set, but not sure if he knows where he is supposed to set them. This is important. Jury out.
On defense, the blocks have been fun to see, but I think we will see fewer as people get more cautious. Either way, that is a plus.
But I do not think Steamer is making the correct rotations at the correct time. With time and a good attitude, you would hope that would develop. But how fast? If we need Steamer a lot, soon (and it seems a good bet) then this is an important question. Jury out.
I have hopes for the guy. But he is very very raw right now.
As for Avery, are you talking about the same guy who appears on my tv set?
frenetic and lost. NEVER will be as good as Tony Allen.
I have mild hopes that he can hit an 18 foot jumper consistently. Do not know why; I just have a hunch.
If he shoots and hits, he will become a weapon, and maybe calm down enough to be a cog in the wheel. Not there yet, though.
Why
Why do we need a low post game from Stiemsma? That is not his game. KG and JO are bigger then him. Are they getting free passes while he isn’t? So long as he keeps hitting the J’s and scoring some on garbage, we are fine. No single player is responsible for a single skill, so long as the team gets the right blend of abilities on the floor. His skill is shot blocking. He is not going to make up for everything the team is missing.
I am not yet wowed by his man defense, though i love his shot blocking. Guys can body him 1 on 1 and his rotations are predictably not at vet status.
Good job present stats in the OP. The only problem I have with the way the stats are presented above is that they make it seem like the only impact a player has is when a man shoots against him or when they get an assist or point. Guys get a lot of touches that don’t end up as shots or assists.
+1
If Stiemsma is enough of a threat with his jumper, that will be huge for our 2nd unit, drawing other teams’ big guys to the weak side, while Bass can work on the inside. When he plays with our first unit, it will be up to Rondo (and the others) to give him open looks.
by European NBA fan on Jan 3, 2012 5:31 PM EST up reply actions
+1
I also think Rondo with his great point guard and passing skills can help Greg become a bigger in the paint scoring presence to supplement the perimeter jumper he has.
Gregs athleticism, length, wing span, ability to run the floor, catch passes well, elevate to catch lob passes , finish strong around the basket with no wasted motion and the low post hook shot he apparently has in his arsenal can be exploited by Rondo if he seeks to find Greg during both half court and fast break transition offensive scoring opportunities.
+1
Any big man who is a threat to shoot is an offensive asset.
Just the mere fact that he can hit that elbow jumper means that his defender MUST track him. This means that if Stiemsma could do absolutely nothing else (and obviously he can do much more) he helps the offense because the other team cannot put two bigs on a double team of KG.
I can’t tell you how many times with Perk on the floor I’d get frustrated watching teams sag off him, camping their big man next to the post, knowing that they’d have plenty of time to defend Perk if he ever did get the ball.
Having a 5 on the floor that requires a defender opens things up for KG, Ray, Paul & Rondo (or Bass, Dooling & Daniels on the second unit). He doesn’t need a low-post game for that.
Not that having a good post-up game would be bad …
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Sure, as a young guy new to the team, Greg hasn’t got quick timing on all the rotations. But he hasn’t even been here four weeks yet—it takes seasoned vets longer to get comfortable in the C’s system.
While he’s smart and working hard and still learning, he’s already helping them—significantly. As you alluded to, it’s not so much the absolute number of blocks that is important as how many altered shots there are in anticipation of a possible block.
We haven’t really seen a low post offensive game. But he’s clearly got a jump shot he was holding in reserve, it’s possible he’s got more moves we haven’t seen as well. And he doesn’t have to be all-world, everything that one could dream of in a center to help them—significantly.
If he has the touch for a jump shot
I have hope that he can develop a nice hook shot. He may never be a true “threat” on offense, but really he doesn’t have to be if Rondo hits him in the right positions. Also they did win a championship with Kendrick Perkins, who Stiemsma has probably already surpassed on the offensive end.
by Aluminum Penguin on Jan 3, 2012 5:34 PM EST up reply actions
Just by the fact that he can put the ball in the hoop more than 4ft outside the basket.
I agree.
"Phil is obviously a good coach. You don't win that many games without being a damn good coach, ... Remember one thing: He's been very fortunate. He picks his spots. That's all I can say." - Red Auerbach
We need a presence inside...
But it doesn’t have to be the Center. Bass has shown a pretty solid post game, both back to the back and face up.
Steamer is a work in progress, no doubt. But he can carve himself out a role in this team with his ability to impact the game defensively, and knocking down open shops which without a doubt will come open when he works the pick and roll with Pierce or Ray.
Think about it, what defense in the world is going to pay attention to the Steamer coming off a screen, when the guy curling the other side is a future hall of famer. Of course he’s going to be open.
"Phil is obviously a good coach. You don't win that many games without being a damn good coach, ... Remember one thing: He's been very fortunate. He picks his spots. That's all I can say." - Red Auerbach
I gotcha.
All I was merely doing is stating raw numbers on both guys. Both have a ton to develop before they are considered great. We’re six games in. It’s obvious he’s (Greg) struggling defensively. He’s been a decent help-side defender, but still struggles to take the right angles off the PnR and rotate properly. That comes with time, I think. He’s been good defensively everywhere that he’s been, and I see no reason why that won’t continue to develop. 2010 D-League Defensive POY, and played in Wisconsin — a team that generally plays a defensive-minded type of basketball. On offense, he has definitely gotten in the way by not knowing exactly where to be on the court, but it hasn’t been a travesty. I think if he was that big of a liability in terms of knowing what to do on offense and where to be on defense he would not be out there. Just my .2
Avery’s defense is stifling. I don’t think he will be BETTER, than Tony Allen, but he has the skill set that was missing when Tony left — an aggressive and feisty defender that can hold his own against a lot of guys, but still has a developing and sporadic offensive game. I didn’t discuss his offensive game in detail for a reason. It’s pretty bad. But if you remember right, Tony’s was pretty bad, too. Aside from an occasional run out finish, he blew lay-ups, and was pretty inconsistent with his jumper. Avery doesn’t need to be Tony. He doesn’t need to be better than Tony. He just needs to do what he does best (defend), learn the rest and develop consistency and understanding of his role as a 2, and do it to the best of his ability. I trust in Danny and Doc’s confidence in him that he will develop.
there are also reasons to hope that Avery's offense will eventually be much better than Tony's
Avery at least has a track record of being a very good shooter in other leagues, including the ability to make free throws and the 3PT shot. Tony was a disaster from either line.
Yes, Bradley’s offense has not yet materialized in the NBA. But over time, I still feel confident he’s going to get results from the nice catch-and-shoot motion he has. He just needs to keep working at it and it will come.
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Very true...
And Tony’s offense was just as bad (worse?) for about 2-3 years when he first got here.
One major problem though, Bradley doesn’t have the benefit of cutting his teeth on a bad team like Tony did when he first started. The Celtics need him now.
"Phil is obviously a good coach. You don't win that many games without being a damn good coach, ... Remember one thing: He's been very fortunate. He picks his spots. That's all I can say." - Red Auerbach
That's a fair point as well.
And a probable source for much of the impatience fans have for him.
I’m really hoping he just pulls a ‘Dustin Pedroia’ and sorta just gets over the hump after a slow, miserable start to his (offensive) career.
NBA Officiating - Corrupt? Incompetent? Which is worse? Does it matter? It sucks.
More minutes
it’s the same old record playing, but he really needs more minutes.
He’s attempted 9 shots this season over a span of 42 minutes spread throughout 6 games. That’s hardly something to get any sort of rhythm going. That’s why what his defense brings is so appreciated — it’s always in rhythm
Good point, and we forget that a lot.
It’s not easy to just get up off the bench cold, thrown into the fire and start knocking down shots.
Ray Allen could do that, yes. Then again, Ray Allen is a freak of nature, and nobody is arguing Bradley will become Ray Allen.
It’s going to take time for Bradley to learn that skill. But defense never goes away, and you never need to warm it up or find a flow. And he can do that every minute he’s on the floor.
Still… for the Celtics to have a real shot this year, we need some guys like Bradley, Dooling, Daniels to step up and carry some scoring. Bass can’t do it all for the second unit, and the starters can’t carry teams anymore like they used to.
"Phil is obviously a good coach. You don't win that many games without being a damn good coach, ... Remember one thing: He's been very fortunate. He picks his spots. That's all I can say." - Red Auerbach
Avery has been a big disappointment to be so far.
I still hold out hope for the kid, but he just has not been able to shake that deer in the head lights look he’s had since day 1.
He’s got all the tools, but then again… so did Gerald green.
Sometimes guys just don’t have “it.”
"Phil is obviously a good coach. You don't win that many games without being a damn good coach, ... Remember one thing: He's been very fortunate. He picks his spots. That's all I can say." - Red Auerbach
I’m thinking of two things why Doc is playing Bradley -
1. Showcasing him to be used as trade bait
2. Using his defensive skills to prevent the opposing teams’ scorers off the bench from getting into a rhythm – so players like Crawford won’t do us too much damage.
Either way, I hope eventually it pays off..
It's a fair point, this might be all premature.
We’ll check back in a month.
"Phil is obviously a good coach. You don't win that many games without being a damn good coach, ... Remember one thing: He's been very fortunate. He picks his spots. That's all I can say." - Red Auerbach
It's Steamer's D-League numbers that impressed me
…because those are significant, and bode well for his future in the NBA. I think his performance so far in the NBA is best taken as an indication that his NBDL stats may be reliable indicators of his future career.
True.
Probably doesn’t have a ton of validity because of a lot of factors — teams still adjusting to the season after a long lockout and shortened camp. But his impact so far can’t be denied. Small-sample size or not, he’s been consistent, has hit some shots and shown that he has potential to be more than just “the big guy from the D-League who blocks shots”, and has the confidence (it seems) of his teammates. Encouraging from a guy who we entered training camp probably saying, “Who is this guy? Just someone to even the sides out in training camp practices?” Will be interesting to see where these numbers are a month from now, too.
Really enjoy the posts you've been doing, Josh.
The statistics are fresh, a phrase that I am not sure has ever been said/makes sense.
Yes, Stiemsma has been nice for 6 games
But if the goal is to win it all this year, must get a center like Cousins in order to compete with Mia or Chi. Hopefully, DA can come up with some workable package which includes the #1 picks, maybe JO and/or other pieces.
Doc plays the rooks that can hang. If the team is going to suck then you lose nothing by giving rookies playing time. But if wins matter because playoff seeding matters, then playing rookies heavy minutes means you take a lot more losses than you should. Unless the rookies are ready to hang.
If you look at the rookies Doc has given minutes to they’re people that have been at least marginally capable. Erden did pretty okay. But he doesn’t have an NBA team right now. Walker is getting marginal bench minutes for the Knicks. And while he’ll make some highlights, I’d take Quisey over Walker any day of the week. Twice on a gameday.
JJ might be a good NBA starter someday, someday won’t be tomorrow. Moore is even dicier because the guy isn’t a great defender right now. They’re both talented. They’ll both probably be pretty good someday. But someday isn’t going to be this season.
Sometimes glass glitters more than diamonds because it has more to prove.
correction
Erden is still with the Cavs, he just hasn’t played this year.
Sometimes glass glitters more than diamonds because it has more to prove.
How does Doc know if doesn't play them
It’s a self reinforcing old school strategy. You can’t hang if you don’t play. Playing makes you better.
Seeding is less important this year. Healthy, Rested Big 4, Deep Bench, Scoring off the Bench, are much more important IMHO.
Celtic Chat Handle: Bird
by David Henderson on Jan 4, 2012 1:07 AM EST up reply actions
JJ was a -7 the other night with less than 2 minutes of game time
Sometimes glass glitters more than diamonds because it has more to prove.
one has to be careful here
JJ has played in exactly two configurations so far:
Bradley + Moore + Daniels + Johnson + Stiemsma (5.65m, -83.64)
Bradley + Moore + Pavlovic + Johnson + Stiemsma (2.78m, -140.00)
(the last numbers are the overall unadjusted simple +/- rating from basketballvalue.com).
This has left JJ with a miserable overall unadjusted weighted net on/off of -104.33 for his measly 8.43 minutes of play.
http://basketballvalue.com/player.php?year=2011-2012&id=951
If you look at Stiemsma’s time on the floor, whenever he’s had 2+ of the ‘Big 4’ with him, his +/- numbers look awesome. In particular, his 15.15 minutes with ALL of the Big 4 have resulted in a very solid +18.55. When he hasn’t had that, his numbers look … pretty awful. So that when you add in the rest of his 69.85 minutes, he ends up with an overall unadjusted weighted net on/off of -21.72.
http://basketballvalue.com/player.php?year=2011-2012&id=951
If we were to only judge Stiemsma by the same 8.43 minutes as JJ, then he would look pretty bad too.
So at some point it would be nice to see Johnson (and indeed, all the youngsters) get a chance to play some solid minutes with a few of the Big 4 before we assess him. I’m sure that will happen eventually.
Looking at Bradley’s units, he’s so far only been on the ‘plus’ side when he’s either at the 2-guard (with Rondo at point) and in another configuration where he’s been at point, but with KG & Paul on the floor as well.
NBA Officiating - Corrupt? Incompetent? Which is worse? Does it matter? It sucks.
Love to see Avery check D Rose
Though I’m not sure what Rondo would be up to. Just fun to watch.
See I’m looking forward to seeing Avery try to get inside Kobe’s jersey and spend a couple fouls making Kobe make that face he makes when he’s not getting things his way. You know the face a 5 year old makes when mom won’t buy the power ranger he wants.
Sometimes glass glitters more than diamonds because it has more to prove.
Ahh .. yes ... his 'Pickled Kobe' face ...
NBA Officiating - Corrupt? Incompetent? Which is worse? Does it matter? It sucks.
bradley
I know from experience how difficult it is to play small minutes (with a microscope on your every mistake) when you are used to being the guy who played most of the game without looking over your shoulder. Add to that the likes of PP, RA, and KG- and the high expectations of Boston fans, and you can imagine how tough it is. That being said, there are those players who never rise above the discomfort. A good test of playing time over a season (without worry) is the only way to tell. Above post is a reminder of Billups example (of what extended time did for his confidence),
The steamer
I like him in the starting line-up as opposed to j.o because steamer is on time for defensive plays and block shots, and he’s way more athletic. j.o is a veteran who’s i’d rather see come off the bench because he’s a second late on almost everything. he’s slower on key blocks, he’s slow on dunking, he’s slow on finishing, but what makes him valuable is his big body, and experience. k.g needs a center that can finish the defensive play. boston has always been successful with defense because k.g would be the initial defender to scare the crap out of you then you had another threat in perk or shaq, but ever since shaq retired and perk was traded guys drive into the paint like its nothing. j.o isn’t scaring anyone because everyone feels they can beat him. at least with steamer he makes you think twice about driving into the paint hell even trying to shoot over him is a problem too. Atleast with jermaine coming off the bench he’ll probably go up against less talent on the opposing team’s bench therefor contribute way more. we need a solid 10 points and 7 rebounds from the starting center and I’m more confident in steamer.
Well, I like where your sentiments are
and certainly the 5-man unit of Stiemsma + Big 4 has been effective in the small amount of minutes so far, posting a defensive rating of 106.45 points per 100 possessions rating in just under 37 minutes.
But of our various 5-man units that have posted significant minutes (at least 15), our actual starting 5 of JO+Big 4 has currently been our best defensive unit, with a very, very stingy 96.36 rating in 29 minutes.
And that latter unit has faced stiffer competition so far. So in truth, JO is generally probably getting the job done on defense.
On the other hand, the Stiemsma+Big 4 unit has actually done better on offense and has earned a slight edge in overall net rating. But of course, that again was mostly against the weaker teams we have faced.
These are, of course, very small samples and the season is still young.
NBA Officiating - Corrupt? Incompetent? Which is worse? Does it matter? It sucks.
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