quote:
Also, Flannery had a good read on the Celtics looking to make moves this summer. Specifically mentions Sullinger and Olynyk as being potential bait for a big fish.

Despite all their winning, Boston has never been a destination city/team for high level free agents, for many reasons. So you'd figure, just like with KG and Ray Allen, if Ainge is going to get a star player there, it would have to come in a trade.

I don't think Sullinger, Olynyk and middling draft picks get it done though.

But, assuming they'll be terrible again next year, maybe around the deadline they're willing to throw in their 2015 lottery pick if they want a star. Otherwise, its tough to see how they get it done.

That pick should be really valuable. I think Jahlil Okafor is Demarcus Cousins without the attitude issues.

eta: Forgot they'll also have whoever they select this year, to put in a deal too.

This post was edited on 4/18/14 at 2:13 pm

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Posted by Spitting Venom

Member since Sep 2013

1110 posts

Posted on 4/23/14 at 4:27 pm to eyeran

Pulling this from an ESPN article on Portland's style of play vs. Houston's style of play.
LINK
I'm not posting this to say we need to play like Houston. I just wish the Demps/Monty tandem would show more signs of creative problem solving, market knowledge, and the basic concept of playing to your strengths.

quote:
If you're wondering, here's the astonishing midrange shot count in the 2013-14 regular season:

Midrange shots
ESPN
Aldridge: 899
Rockets: 728

The Rockets have all but abandoned the midrange game as part of a team-wide philosophy to pound the holy trinity of high-efficiency areas on the floor: the basket, the free throw line and the 3-point line. This has come to be known as "Moreyball," named after Rockets GM Daryl Morey. Midrange shots, on average, don't have a high payoff because they rarely don't yield foul calls and they are just about as likely to go in as 3-point shots. So they avoid them.

quote:
The day will come when Morey acquires a midrange maven like Aldridge. It just hasn't happened yet.

So, would Morey ask the player to change his stripes in the name of Moreyball? Or would he let the player shoot his shot like the Blazers have?

To Morey, it's an easy answer.

"If we had a player like Aldridge, we would play to his strengths as well," Morey says. "The key in this league isn't to be dogmatic to a certain idea, but to play to the strengths of your players and to put them in a system that's most effective for them."

Simple enough idea.

quote:
If it helps increase the odds of coming out on top, Morey is on board regardless of how it fits with their present scheme. If you haven't noticed, Howard hasn't started taking 3-point shots

"For sure, we wouldn't do that," Morey said. "That'd be crazy. If we had a player like Aldridge, I think we'd comfortably be letting him bomb away from the midrange if it helped us win games."

The insights of analytics is constantly changing because the market is constantly changing. As teams smarten up about the payoffs of certain shots, they'll become more sought after on the open market. It's Economics 101. And as demand for certain types of players rises, so, too, will the price of those players.

At some point, the 3-point shooting bubble will burst and other shots will become more valuable. There is a natural cycle to these things. In the same way that players with high on-base percentages ceased to be a market inefficiency after "Moneyball" became a national bestseller, guys like Kyle Korver will be making $10 million annually, not the current $6 million. And then the market will react.

And soon, the midrange shot won't be passé for long.

"That's the very nature of market dynamics," Morey says. "It question is not 'What is the best shot?' It's 'What is the best relative to what everyone else thinks?' That's the challenge that you're trying to solve."

Can't really see Demps saying this. Maybe I'm wrong.

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