Not every assist is equal, and the same is true for seemingly equivalent per-game lines. Two NBA players averaging five assists aren’t identically adept passers. Right off the bat, we’ll admit we’re overlooking plenty of factors here. Passes squeezed into tight spaces count the same as easy feeds
The Golden State Warriors weren’t going to reign forever. Not in the NBA Math Power Rankings, which are intentionally reactionary and weigh recent events just as heavily as what’s come to pass throughout the entire season. But it’s not the Cleveland Cavaliers ascending to the top.
The Toronto Raptors have a center ranked in the top 30 of our total points added (TPA) hierarchy, but it’s not Jonas Valanciunas. While the starting 5 sits at No. 269, sandwiched directly between Joffrey Lauvergne and James Michael McAdoo, Lucas Nogueira has risen sharply.
Welcome to NBA Math’s inaugural power rankings. We’re determining how all 30 teams stack up in wholly objective fashion, using our Team Rating metric to evaluate both season-long performances and the levels the squads have played at in the last few weeks. Power rankings do have to weigh
During the 2014-15 season, Joe Ingles’ first in the NBA, I remember sitting in a hotel room with some fellow door-to-door salesmen, watching the Utah Jazz play and listening to those coworkers laughing about the rookie small forward. “How is this guy in the NBA?” served
It’s no secret NBA Math loves Nikola Jokic. He was a statistical darling during his rookie season and finished No. 19 in Total Points Added (TPA), sandwiched between DeAndre Jordan and Isaiah Thomas. Now, he’s proving his scoring efficiency, slick passing and defensive acumen weren’t the least bit fluky.
During the first month of the NBA season, 39 different players have populated the 15 spots on the All-TPA teams. We’ve seen plenty of stars showing up, but also a few surprises—Mike Muscala, Larry Nance Jr. and Lucas Nogueira chief among them. Only one has
Stephen Curry is back in the three-point business, while superstars such as Russell Westbrook, Chris Paul and James Harden continue to shine. We’ve even got LeBron James re-entering your life after his brief Week 2 hiatus. Plus, there are more surprises. Last week, it was