Just two questions...

[foglemann]

Ok, the first one is
1. What did we finish last year in the rankings on defense??

2. If someone can find this out, I will be greatful. How many players have we given there career highs in something this year, wheather it is assists, rebounds, and most importantly points???

Thanks and I hope not everyone is as lazy as I am to find these things out.

[Road Rage]

Here are some team stats for last season:

2000-01 stats

[#41]

Wow! We finished with less than 100 opponent's points last season![img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img][img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

[grbh]

Don't have career highs, but here are players we allowed season highs too. I did not include players who's season high is less than 10 points. I figure an average defensive team will give up about 12-14 season highs in a season. This again is not counting players on 10 day contracts who score 2 points in a game, or guys who biefley come off IR to make a couple buckets.

The Mavs have allowed 20 players their season high in points:

C Billups, 36, G
E Piatkowski, 36, G/F
A Croshere, 32, F
K Cato, 18, C
J McGinnis, 31, G
Q Richardson, 31, G
R Bowen, 18, F
L Harris, 23, G
J Terry, 46, G
T Porter, 22, G
M Camby, 26, C
R Artest, 29, F
D Johnson, 21, G/F
T Duncan, 53, F
B Coles, 13, G
B Haywood, 19, C
S O'Neal, 46, C
C Booth, 24, C
L Wright 33, C
M Curry, 12, F/G


Breakdown is fairly even:
6 Centers
7 Guards
4 Guards
3 Foward/Guards


The most ineresting not I find is breaking down the season.
1st 18 Games: 3 Season Highs
Next 36 Games: 17 Season Highs. Of course the Mavs winning % is higher during these 36 games. Nevertheless it is still a concerning number

I don't expect this number to grow a lot, because as the Mavs allow more season highs some of these guys will get their highs against another team and thus fall of the list. Still I would expect maybe a final number of 24-25 for the season.

Anyway you look at it that is terrible, but it is about what one would expect with this defense.

[foglemann]

Thanks Road Rage and grbh for the info., it really helps. I can't believe that we have given up so many season highs this season, especially some of those guys are barely able to play in the NBA. Also, that a lot of those were career highs. I wonder what is wrong with this team this year from last year, I know that all the average points against and ppg is going to be higher this year because of the new rules, but we are dead last in defense this year. We didn't change the team that much last year or I guess we did have over half the year with that whole Wizards crew. Anyway, we were like 16th in the league last year on defense and now we are dead last, this is the biggest problem, we were much more balanced last year. I would rather be fourth on offense like last season and 16th on defense like last year, than to be number one and last on defense. This team could be balanced, a center would help, but we just don't consentrate on defense. We don't show enough hustle or heart out there and this has to change if we want to stay in the playoffs, but my biggest wish is if we add a little more in the offseason and get back a lot better on the defensive end.

[grbh]

I think it is a couple of things that is very telling. I think FG% allowed is more telling than points allowed. Look at a team like the Bulls. Well there D does not look so bad, but they play a slower pace of basketball.

2000-2001 FG%, 13th in NBA
2001-2002 FG%, 22nd in NBA

Big change in blocks also. Obviously a lot of this has to do with Bradley. i am not scolding Nellie for not playing him though. Bradley has just quit after getting this contract.
2000-2001 Blocks 5th in NBA
2001-2002 Block 25th in NBA

[Drbio]

A thought to keep in mind.........

"There are lies, damn lies, and statistics!"

Doc