Mercenary Analytics

A big thank you to Greer for allowing me the opportunity to pitch in behind the scenes on this one!

Jordan Poole in the Finals in his third year. Grant Williams in the Finals in his third year. Both of them were looking like they were on their way out of the league as rookies. If Packie and I can't continue our relationship next season, let it be known our stuff WORKS.

There are 24 weeks in the NBA season. If a future restricted free agent hired somebody that could get them one extra 85% shot at the rim every week, that would end up with an added impact of +$7.6 million on their next deal. That's entirely doable for every player in the NBA.

Not a criticism of Finch or the game-planning process. The stuff that NBA teams need to win games is not perfectly aligned with what every player on that team needs to succeed and get paid, though. There is (or, should be) nothing wrong with acknowledging that.

This is why every player in the NBA needs somebody like me. Yes, Giannis is an absolute monster. He's all over the floor. But, if 80% of the prep is going into one player and trying to account for him... What if you're one of the 80% of the guys who won't be defended by him?

The times, they are a-changin’… @MercAnalytic

Why doesn't every NBA player want an analytics guy? Watching 58 clips of a player, and they took eight 28+ feet 3PAs, several off the dribble. 5 of my 22 clips pulled were of these. My commentary? Make or miss, all about the process of the shot, and a big thumbs up on each one.

When's the last time you've seen a trophy dedicated to a player who was only with the team for 6 months? Trust me, after working with Tom, it makes a lot of sense. One of the hardest-working, most team-oriented (almost to a fault), and kindest players I have ever worked with.

One day I might release the report that I did on Tyrese, it was done on spec, so I still own it. I didn't expect him to wind up in Sacramento, but he is basically exactly what I expected. I'll release this tiny, tiny nugget:

When I started working with @mbruesewitz31 this year, I told him that, unfortunately, his 3P% of 54% was going to go down. I was right, he finished the year at 52%. That's how you become literally the second-most efficient international player across all leagues in the world.

Preaching to the choir. Buzz Williams teams are still ahead of the curve, even in 2019-20.

My office for the next hour and a half. I’ve had worse.

Part Three of my three-part series on the mid-range is here. I talk my personal criteria for mid-range attempts, the skills trainer for one of the best mid-range shooters in the NBA gives some insights, and finally, the conclusion. Free to read, at: basketballcatalyst.com/post/…

Part Two on my three-part series on the mid-range jumper is here. The second installment becomes much more stat-heavy, and deals with reasonable expectations surrounding the mid-range, and unpacks multiple real-life, game-scenarios. Free to read, at: basketballcatalyst.com/post/…

Part One of my three-part dive on the mid-range jumper is here. It's also my first article exclusively on basketball theory in years. Part One focuses on experiences and the resulting biases, and addresses the value of efficiency. Free to read, at: basketballcatalyst.com/post/…

I work a very specialized job. In negotiations, I often hear the same line: “We already have somebody who can do 85% of what you do. Why should we pay you?” Well, easy, that extra 15% is the highest-leverage percent. Don’t believe me? 1/14

Spent an hour and a half doing video analysis this week to track only 7 total measurements for 7 different single-seasons. You can pull all the numbers in the world pulled to support your case, but at the end of the day, analytics is about the numbers that inspire player change.