MDA: "Most of time adjustments are overblown. You just say 'Play Harder'"

pts + (assistsx2) + rebounds / turnovers

Steve Nash (2006/2007 only) 11.92 good things per turnover

James Harden 10.38 good things per turnover

Westbrook 11.57 good things per turnover

LeBron 12.24 good things per turnover

I included rebounds because a lot of turnovers are a result of rebounding the ball. Shot percentage is not part of this either. Clearly Harden is not at some elite level of taking care of the ball, but I didn't weigh in the value of a 3pter, but it gives you a bit of a gauge. He should still probably take care of it a little better though. Not much better, but definitely better.

 

That really doesn't help you understand the effect of the offense. You try to get up uncontested shots, so extra possessions are not as important as being more efficient than your opponent. Your extra efficiency over a bunch of possessions is the recipe for victory. So points-per-possession comparisons are more important overall.

 

Harden's TO's are way overblown by a select few fans and one annoying as hell troll (looking at you joomba). When it comes to turnovers, you have to look at more than the raw number:

- Turnover ratio: How many assists does he get before turning the ball over once? How does that compare to other PG's?
- Usage: How many of the team's plays go through Harden? How heavy does his TO's weigh compare to his usage?
- Team turnovers: With Harden included, how many TO's does the team have? If it's less than the other team, I can easily live with that.
- Situation: In what circumstances did the turnovers happen? If it's a high risk, high reward full court outlet pass, I am fine with that. If it's late game in crunch time, I will probably be a bit frustrated.

I always laugh when people talk about Nash and LBJ. Nash had Johnson, Stoudamire, Marion, and Barbosa. LBJ had Wade and Bosh, now Irving and Love. We have Gordon and had Howard. There is no comparison.

 

Good analogy, I think. You are saying that Harden has lots of skills like the queen piece does, right?

 

Harden answering a question about his turnovers after the Toronto game:

 

good advanced bullshit stats. a near 30/12 on 5-6 tos when your team is top 5 is as efficient as u can get. westbrook's the only one of the 3 who has the same numbers as harden.

tell lebron to do the same he'd prolly do as good if not better. nash will do worse.

 

obligatore

Spoiler

 

Turnovers are important. But individual turnover numbers are overrated, just as individual rebounding numbers are overrated.

We lost an elite rebounder in Dwight but we are a much rebounding team than last season. Turnover is the same. It's team turnover that's the key. Not one individual player's number.

 

Anybody ever tell you, you take things too seriously? I'm not a random Harden hater who can't stand him because of some turnovers. Those are a limited few, I can assure you, and fewer of them are actually Rockets fans. I'm just repeating what I've already heard Harden say about himself. And I wasn't banging on some drum while I did it. I'm a Rockets lover, not a fighter. Fight someone else.

 

well first of all, when i say bullshti it doesnt mean im mad. thats just me talking. i didnt know what to make of your "stats", i just saw them random as hell

 

Yup, take him out and we would need to rely on close to perfect execution in order to win.

 

Great analogy indeed , but i didnt get it until you pointed it out!

 

Our interior defense was terrible during that Knicks run at the beginning. Clint looked like he was half out of it, not even noticing open cutters or guys standing at the basket. Particularly alarming that this happened with Tucker playing instead of Anderson.

Defense picked up more when CP came in. And Gordon added a spark. It's weird how I hardly ever notice Luc, even though the stats show he's clearly making a huge difference.

 

Ryan Anderson was the spark. EG struggled a little bit.

 

COY

Or should I say, look at MDA being all COY.

 

Might as well take all good and bad things to account

Total Points produced (account 2s and threes), rebounds steals, turnovers, missed shots

That would be PER

Harden is pretty much tied with cp3 considering cp3 has only played 4 or 5 games 25 mins per game

 

of course he wasn't a spark, hes the glue guy and/or x factor

 

Ryan Anderson looked like a superstar out there. It's like he grew balls overnight.

I want him to play more like EG. Just shoot, put up shots. You are probably the best pure shooter on the team, it infuriates me when he passes up open looks. EG will take contested threes all day even if he's 1-10. We're playing the long game, doesn't matter if you have a cold night, just don't have a cold season.

 

Idk about overblown. He played with fire having Ryno guard Beasley last nite. That couldve potentially cost us the game. Adjustments are EVERYTHING when the shots arent falling