Rodgers Report: Stats Heavy Look at 20 Games

With twenty games down in the 07/08 season, and in the midst of a lengthy break from playing before taking to the hard court against arguably the best team in the game, it is time to evaluate the Lakers' play, statistically. This is quite straightforward. Each player is ranked according to a scoring efficiency, a passing /ball handling efficiency, and a rebounding efficiency. The stats are not corrected for position because, quite frankly, that is too much work. The overall rating is a composite of the three, that weighs scoring efficiency most heavily and rebounding efficiency least heavily. The defensive rating is just the counterpart to the offensive rating, but its data is drawn from the lovely 82games.com (side note, Roland from 82games.com, via email, told me that switches and double teams are not accounted for; consider this yet another source of error).

SCOFF (Scoring Efficiency) Function of one's efficiency at scoring and one's explosive scoring potential. League Average: 5.8.

PAFF: (Passing Efficiency) Function of one's ability to hand out assists and one's ability to do so efficiently. League Average: 2.2

REFF: (Rebounding Efficiency) Function of one's ability to grab rebounds and to stop one's opponent from doing the same. League Average: 3.0

OVR: (Overall Rating) Measure of a player's overall contributions to the game. League Average: 4.15

Without any further obstreperousness on my part, the LA Lakers' Guards:
* ( = insufficient playing time at present )

OFFENSIVE RATINGS
Scoring / Passing / Rebounding / Offensive Rating
1. Kobe 6.7 / 3.4 / 3.6 / 5.34
2. Farmar 5.8 / 3.4 / 3.3 / 4.75
3. Sasha 6.0 / 2.5 / 2.8 / 4.60
4. Fisher 5.7 / 3.1 / 2.7 / 4.56
5. (Crittenton 5.6 / 3.1 / 3.0 / 3.74)
--Kobe's numbers are just absurd. He is essentially like 1.25 players on the court. Literally. Perhaps surprisingly, LA's guards are all putting up excellent all-around numbers. Farmar has been a pleasant surprise, tying with Kobe and Walton for the best passing rating on the team.

The Forwards
Scoring / Passing / Rebounding / Offensive Rating
1. (Karl 5.8 / 5.8 / 4.0 / 5.52)
2. Ariza 5.7 / 3.1 / 3.5 / 4.65
3. Vlad 5.6 / 2.6 / 3.2 / 4.46
4. Turiaf 5.3 / 2.7 / 3.7 / 4.33
5. Odom 5.2 / 2.3 / 4.0 / 4.26
6. Walton 4.8 / 3.4 / 3.4 / 4.18
--Walton has been disappointing despite posting the team's best passing rating for a Forward. Ariza, in limited time, has been excellent.

The Centers
Scoring / Passing / Rebounding / Offensive Rating
Bynum 5.6 / 2.3 / 4.8 / 4.58
Mihm 4.8 / 2.2 / 4.3 / 3.99
Kwame 4.1 / 2.2 / 4.0 / 3.56
--After Bynum, there is a massive drop-off in terms of talent at the Center spot. Kwame's and Mihm's struggles may be explained away by injuries, but there is little doubt that Bynum is approaching dominance.

DEFENSIVE RATINGS (4.18 is average)
1. (Crittenton 5.08)
2 .Fisher 4.64
3. Kobe 4.59
4. Farmar 4.41
5. Sasha 4.26
--I hope no one whines about this stat. Fisher is obviously NOT a great defender, but LA has done a good job of making non-PGs do damage since a few mishaps early in the season. Kobe's rating is solid, well above average, and he has often tangled with opposing team's best players.

1. Turiaf 4.62
2. Odom 4.53
3. Walton 4.31
4. Vlad 4.26
5. Ariza 4.11
6. (Karl N/A)
--Turiaf IS the best defender on this team at the PF spot. Odom's performance has been far from impressive at times, but there he is. Ariza, unfortunately, has had to tackle some great players. This stat does not reflect quality of opposition.

1. Kwame 5.04
2. Bynum 5.00
3. Mihm 4.56
--Kwamba holds sway on this team at the Center spot, but for how long? Bynum has been a bit shaky to dominant defensively. Kwame, when healthy, is still better than Bynum, but Bynum may be the better and more consistent bet by season's end.

OVERALL RATINGS (4.18 average again)
Kobe 4.94
(Crittenton 4.85)
Fisher 4.60
Farmar 4.57
Sasha 4.43

Turiaf 4.48
Odom 4.40
Ariza 4.38
Vlad 4.36
Walton 4.24
(Karl N/A)

Bynum 4.79
Mihm 4.52
Kwame 4.06

DEPTH CHART by OVR:
Fisher / Farmar / Crittenton
Kobe / Sasha
Odom / Ariza / Walton
Turiaf / Vlad
Bynum / Mihm / Kwame
--What do you know? Given the way everyone has been playing, PJ is running with a very effective lineup at present.

I don't include Ariza's rankings from Orlando. That's how I roll.

I will have to look at the other teams again. I know that LA was very high on the list through about 8 games. The Suns were crushing the league in Scoring Efficiency, but I think LA was 3rd to 5th.

I'll redo some of them and get back to you.

Satan wrote:

Thanks for the new word, obstreperousness.

No kidding. I had to look that one up. Is there a word to describe:
"One who speaks with large words" ?

Punk-101 wrote:

Satan wrote:

Thanks for the new word, obstreperousness.

No kidding. I had to look that one up. Is there a word to describe:
"One who speaks with large words" ?

There are plenty.. most of them only have four letters though!

Ed Guru wrote:

Punk-101 wrote:

Satan wrote:

Thanks for the new word, obstreperousness.

No kidding. I had to look that one up. Is there a word to describe:
"One who speaks with large words" ?

There are plenty.. most of them only have four letters though!

Actually, I was trying to find a good word for that earlier this year...and I've finally found one. Pleonast. For kicks and giggles, I'd make it a pleonastician because that is pleonastic itself.