If you haven't read Michael Lewis' brilliant piece The No-Stats All-Star, you should check it out. Lewis discusses Battier's "invisible strengths" that improve the performance of his teammates while weakening the performance of the opposition. A player's value is not solely in the box score - he can impact the game by causing turnovers, spurring team rebounds, blocking shots while keeping the ball in play, or causing the defense to spread the floor.
Daryl Morey, the Rockets GM, has rethought the game of basketball, using data to understand a player's value outside of the obvious statistics such as points, rebounds, assists, and steals. Rockets forward Shane Battier is a prime example of a player that is never mentioned in the all-star crowd, but has had a tremendous impact on the game. As of the 2009 season, Battier was plus 6 on the court which put him in the company of Vince Carter and Carmelo Anthony. GM's should follow Morey's philosophy when compiling a roster because the value of a team that is strategically put together is far larger than sum of its individual parts.
Very interesting article. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI have a whole new appreciation for Battier as a person, not only a player. I now wanna see a Houston Rockets game to appreciate his game outside the box score.
I wouldn't be surprised if he did, in fact, become the commissioner. Can you imagine reading a box score that had numbers reflecting potential rebounds, potential stops and the number of unselfish plays?