re: General NBA Links

Absolutely.

Clearly there are reasons some teams hit on players more frequently than others. Andrew Sharp had a nice article about this about a year ago on Grantland I believe. Goldsberry had a great read on Monta Ellis, Dirk, and the Mavs with some great Cuban quotes on this very subject

quote:

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“It’s not like Moneyball in baseball, where analytics are a good way to determine who to sign or who not to sign, unless where they were is analogous to where you’re trying to bring them. [A basketball player] might have X number of win shares on a team that likes to push the ball, and a team that slows it down is a different beast. A guy might be a great rebounder if a team keeps him close to the basket, but if we show on pick-and-rolls or play zone, those numbers are going to be very different.”

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Player acquisition isn't math, it's alchemy. Sometimes it just doesn't work out with the best scouts, data, analysis, system, coaching, and ownership in place. That same excellent Indiana organization drafted and developed Tyler Hansbrough in between getting Hibbert and George. They picked up Gerald Green last year and got nothing from him. DJ Augustin arguably cost them a trip to the Finals; he's now perhaps the 2nd best player on the Bulls. Whither rumored Pels off season target Chris Copeland? On the other hand, they were smart enough to flip 16 for George Hill, who's been a great fit at pg. And were bold enough to take a chance on an over 30 player coming off ACL reconstruction.

Like I said earlier, not every move works. shite happens and even the best organizations aren't perfect. It takes smart planning, thinking, support, patience, AND a good bit of luck for success.

And I'm not so sure Hibbert is a FA. Matching a rookie max offer to your 25 yo All-Star center isn't a head scratcher to me- it's certainly as defensible as matching Gordon's max offer sheet. I would imagine they had access to data that proved his worth as the defensive anchor in their scheme even if his traditional numbers didn't scream max guy.