>You said that WC’s scoring efficiency was low Wednesday night because he shoots a lot from the outside, but 66% of his shots were in the paint.<

I didn’t say that.

I was talking about him in general. For example, he takes more outside shots than the local hero here, David Lee. :-)

“You said that perimeter players are at a necessary disadvantage for scoring efficiency, but this is just not bourn out in the data (at least for the most efficient scorers in the league, which is where I hope WC is at least aiming to end up).”

As far as I am concerned, even your data does suggests that perimeter players are at a disadvantage. It’s just not as extreme using %TS and eFG% as it is using FG%. However, as I’ve explained, there are differences between the types of shots players are taking even when they both count for 2 points or even 3 points. It’s the big guys that are taking most of the easiest shots. That’s why they also have a high FG%. IMO, %TS and eFG% do not account for those things properly either.

You can add another stat to try to capture that (like usage), but after awhile you wind up with a set of information that is difficult to weigh because of the compexities and imperfections of each individual stat etc…

That’s why my major point all along has been that it’s best to use all these stats as a tool and basis for analysis IN COMBINATION with visual observation of the REALITY of what’s going on on the court.

“You said that if WC posts a FG% of 50% that’s all we should care about, but FG% isn’t even the best way to measure FG efficiency.”

It’s obviously not the only thing we should care about, but given his current typical shot distribution during the games I’ve seen (all preseason and 1st real game), that would be satisfactory to me in the area of shooting. It may not satisify you because you may insist on looking at just eFG% and TS%, but I will be looking at both those, FG%, FT%, and watching the game so I understand what those stats are made up of in Chandler’s specific case vs. other players I might be comparing him to.

We can put this to rest because it doesn’t matter to me if you agree with me or choose to analyze things differently and you aren’t going to convince me otherwise. All you and others can do is introduce to me another stat in my toolbox that I will use the same way.

Gus and Walt are discussing the fact D’Antoni announced today that Marbury is inactive tonight and will be for the foreseeable future….

Karma is a strange thing. There will come a time this season when D’antoni looks down the bench and realizes that he needs Stephon. You cant count on all of the starters staying healty, and you know Mardy doesnt deal with presure well. At some point they will need what Stephon has to offer.

Will this moment of karmic payback coincide with D’Antoni remembering that this is basically a lost season, that any victories just fuel misguided 8th seed playoff aspirations? You can debate the logic of benching a reasonably talented malcontent who nevertheless came into camp in terrific shape, but to say that, at some point in the future, the Knicks will *need* what Marbury has to offer is a little silly. If he’s the difference between 30 wins and 34, does it really matter? Will anyone actually care? I don’t think I’ll lose much sleep over it, nor will D’Antoni. Maybe those additional losses will even help us draft a franchise point guard.

More likely, D’Antoni will look down the bench at Marbury, have a brief pang of regret, and then remember that the Knicks aren’t going anywhere anyway. He might also think, “Why didn’t I just go to Chicago?”

I guess my larger contention is that there will come a time this season when the Knicks drop any pretenses of being competitive in the here-and-now. Maybe it’ll happen when we dump Zach’s contract on someone, but I’m pretty sure it will happen. And by then, it won’t be like we need Marbury to salvage our chance at a quick playoff exit.

D’Antoni’s blunt approach could get him into hot water now that he’s under the New York microscope. He already has ticked off Eddy Curry Eddy Curry for telling reporters he was out of the rotation before telling the player. The wisecracking D’Antoni also said when Curry missed the first day of training camp that it might be a blessing because he may have “dropped dead.” Curry has a heart arrhythmia.

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Seriously? People are still writing about Clyde? Seriously? Seriously?
A little OCD?
The man has sat through years of futility. He is mediocre. His stilted speech patterns are a bit silly. He’s a character. Clyde has always been a character.

im not so sure about that. The celtics and cavs are the truth. orlando is still a pg short of being elite. philly needs outside shooting; good teams will run zone and they will not be able to score. detroit still has sheed, which means they will probably drag into the playoffs and forget how to turn on the intensity, just like the past 3 years. i am interested to see what toronto does, i have a mancrush on bosh and they may make a run, but are they championship calibre?

on the other hand, the lakers look like they are unstoppable. if they can move odom for something nice at the trade deadline, that may make them even better. add in hornets and rockets and I think the top 3 teams in the west are dead even if not better than top-3 in the east.

“not something to admire, it’s something to require!”

well played. drop some knowledge on frazier with that one.

I watched the Spurs-Suns game the other night. The Spurs looked awful. Parker and Duncan accounted for 2/3 of their points. Everyone else on the team was utterly lost. I could definitely see them missing the playoffs, but knowing them, I wouldn’t be surprised if they figure something out. On another note, watching that game required listening to Mark Jackson. Ugh.

I agree, Owen, about Collins’ comment. We’ll see what those ‘experts’ are saying when the Suns and their new commitment to defense are getting swept in the first round of the playoffs, if they make it in at all.