Stats Don't Lie

Jordan vs. Kobe: A Comparison of their NBA Finals Statistics

2010-06-19T16:46:00.000-05:00

Least Valuable Draft Picks: Linebackers

2010-05-21T17:16:00.000-05:00

Least Valuable Draft Picks: Defensive Backs

2010-05-21T11:44:00.000-05:00

Least Valuable Draft Picks: Defensive Linemen

2010-05-19T16:16:00.001-05:00

Least Valuable Draft Picks: Tight Ends and Offensive Linemen

2010-05-17T11:35:00.000-05:00

It's hard to quantify the (lack of) success for offensive linemen due to the scarcity of statistics to gauge them by. Nonetheless, these are the biggest busts among O-linemen based on games started (very few) and Pro Bowls (none of them made one).

Least Valuable Draft Picks: Wide Receivers

2010-05-13T11:34:00.000-05:00

Least Valuable Draft Picks: Running Backs

2010-05-11T12:11:00.000-05:00

Least Valuable Draft Picks: Quarterbacks

2010-05-09T16:11:00.000-05:00

In response to the NFL's Most Valuable Draft Picks (and Jamarcus Russell being released), I've decided to make a list of the Least Valuable Draft Picks in NFL history (post-merger 1970-2009).

What NFL players would benefit from a position change?

2010-04-08T16:04:00.000-05:00

Reggie Bush (RB to WR): This one was the easiest as anyone who watches Bush play can clearly tell that he's not someone that seeks contact which is what you want out of your running backs. A move to WR will give him the opportunity to avoid those 250 lb. linebackers and instead match up with the similarly-sized cornerbacks. I think Bush would excel in a DeSean Jackson-type role; that way he would line up full-time at WR but could still occasionally run the ball on reverses, end-arounds, etc.-just not in between the tackles.

Brandon Manumaleuna (TE to OL): Even though Jim Kleinsasser of the Vikings is the best blocking tight end in the league, he doesn't have the size to play OL. However, Brandon Manumaleuna of the Bears certainly does. He's only 6'2" but he weighs 295 lbs. which is 25 lbs. more than the next heaviest tight end in the league. There is precedent for a tight end switching to the O-line later in the player's career: Larry Brown started at TE for the Steelers during their Super Bowl wins in 1974 and 1975 and then at RT for their Super Bowl wins in 1978 and 1979. In more recent times, Dwayne "House" Carswell played tight end, tackle, and guard with the Broncos earlier this decade. Manumaleuna isn't much of a receiving threat with only 3 receptions this season and besides, does the guy in the picture below look like someone that should be running a receiving route?

Roy Williams (S to OLB): This is long overdue as scouts have thought Williams should play safety ever since he was drafted in 2002. Though he is lighter than the weight he played at in Dallas, he is still stout enough to hold up at weakside linebacker. His struggles in coverage are well documented (highlighted by this video) and he hasn't had an interception since September...of 2007. Don't be blinded by the 5 Pro Bowls he's made as the last couple were off of reputation. In order for him to move to LB and remain a starter, he will likely have to change teams as the Bengals currently have a pair of high-drafted, former USC Trojans (Rey Maualuga and Keith Rivers) currently manning those positions.

Phillip Buchanon (CB to WR): When I first saw Buchanon play with the Raiders, I thought that he would be next Deion Sanders. Uhh, I was a bit of with that comparison. Buchanon was a playmaker back then and still is one today. For someone who has 8 career non-offensive touchdowns, he needs to have the ball in his hands more often. Also, if you can't even start at CB in Detroit, then how do you think you'll be able to start anywhere else? He should take a cue from the guy who replaced him at CB at UM, Devin Hester, and switch to a position where he can show why Deion Sanders gave him the nickname of "Showtime" in his days in Oakland.

Ted Ginn, Jr. (WR to CB): He's proven that he can't catch the ball so he should switch to cornerback and join all the other 4.3 40-yard-dash guys that can't catch a cold. I'm only half-joking as I'm writing this.

Is McNabb even worth a second rounder?

2010-03-31T16:56:00.004-05:00

Here is a look at notable QBs who have been traded and the compensation received for them. All of these trades occurred when the quarterback was already an established NFL player; thus, trades such as Elway to DEN, Favre to GB, Young to SF, and Manning/Rivers are not included.

First up is a comparison of QBs who were closest in age to McNabb (33) when they were traded:

Here are other notable QBs who were traded and the compensation received for them:

Johnny Unitas (age 40) traded to SDG for "future considerations" which were never specified (no players or draft picks).
Brett Favre (38) traded to NYJ for a conditional 4th rounder that ultimately became a 3rd rounder.
Joe Montana (37) + starting SS David Whitmore + 3rd round pick traded to KC for a 1st round pick.
Warren Moon (37) traded from HOU to MIN for a 3rd rounder and a 4th rounder.
Drew Bledsoe (30) traded to BUF for a 1st rounder.
Fran Tarkenton (27) traded from MIN to NYG for 2 first rounders and 2 second rounders; Tarkenton (32) was then traded back to MIN for 3x Pro Bowl QB Norm Snead, 1x Pro Bowl WR Bob Grim, backup RB Vince Clements, a 1st rounder and a 2nd rounder.
Jay Cutler (26) + a 5th rounder traded to CHI for starting QB Kyle Orton + 2 first rounders + a 3rd rounder.

2009 NFL All-Rookie Team (Offense)

2010-03-28T17:58:00.000-05:00

Quarterback: Matt Stafford, DET

Even though Stafford only played 10 games for a 2-win team and Mark Sanchez has started every game except one for a potentially playoff bound team, Stafford gets the edge because he was asked to do more for his team than Sanchez was. The Jets have more talent at every position than the Lions do but can you recall any games this year that Sanchez won himself? I can’t but Stafford had his hand in both of the Lions wins: the victory over the Redskins that ended Detroit’s 19 game losing streak and the historic win over the Browns in which Stafford gutted out a serious shoulder injury. That Browns game is what people will most remember about Stafford’s rookie season whereas this video is what we will most remember about Sanzhez’s rookie season.

Running Back: Beanie Wells, ARI

Wells has really come on in the second half of the season which is when rookies tend to start wearing down. He has averaged 4.8 yards per carry in November and December and has clearly leapfrogged Tim Hightower as the Cardinals #1 back. He’s also shown that he can catch the ball which is something he didn’t do much of at Ohio State. Wells already has more receiving yards this season than he had in his college career. Wells gets the edge over Knowshon Moreno due to the Bronco’s fumbling woes (3rd most lost fumbles in NFL) and his inefficiency (33 RBs have a higher yard per carry average).

Fullback: Quinn Johnson, GB

Johnson and Carolina’s Tony Fiammetta were the only FBs who played more than a handful of snaps but Johnson gets the nod due to the simple fact he actually touched the ball (2 catches, 4 yards) unlike Fiammetta. Johnson is just one of three fullbacks on Green Bay and his ability to take snaps away from two veterans shows that the Packers’ coaches think highly of him.

Wide Receiver: Hakeem Nicks, NYG; Mike Wallace, PIT

Nicks has all the makings of a future All-Pro receiver: he reminds me of Sterling Sharpe in that he’s built like a RB and his hands are exceptionally huge. He leads all rookies in receiving yards and he’s already supplanted Mario Manningham as a starter. Wallace may seem like a surprise pick but he’s been superb in his role as the slot receiver in Pittsburgh. Wallace has more touchdowns than Santonio Holmes and he leads the entire NFL, not just the rookies, in average yards per reception with 18.7. I based this decision solely on a player’s performance at receiver; thus, I didn’t take into account Percy Harvin’s special teams play which is why he didn’t make the cut (at this position).

Tight End: Brandon Pettigrew, DET

The rookie out of Oklahoma State was really starting to come along before suffering a season-ending knee injury in Week 12. Pettigrew had 18 receptions, 194 yards, and 2 TDs in November alone and all of those numbers are better than what any rookie tight end has put up for the entire 2009 season. The runner-up is Shawn Nelson of the Bills who has 17 receptions for 156 yards. He also has one TD reception which is somehow good enough for tied for 3rd among all Bills players.

Tackle: Michael Oher, BAL; Sebastian Vollmer, NWE

Even though Oher has only guarded Joe Flacco’s “Blind Side” four games this season, Oher has been above average in protecting the QB. Oher has allowed just 4 sacks this season compared to Phil Loadholt of the Vikings who has allowed 7 sacks despite playing strictly at RT. Vollmer has been playing at arguably an All-Pro level this season. ProFootballFocus.com is a website that I’ve worked for and they track every offensive and defensive play from every NFL game. By their measure, Vollmer is the only offensive tackle in the NFL that has played at least 25% of his team’s snaps without giving up a sack. Vollmer has also only been penalized once all season which is amazing considering that he’s played over 500 snaps this year. The two Smiths (Jason and Andre) have had injury issues that prevented them from getting enough playing time and the two Jaguar rookie tackles have struggled and given up a combined 13 sacks.

Guard: Louis Vasquez, SD; Max Unger, SEA

Only four rookie guards played a significant amount of snaps and two of them were for Buffalo which may have the worst offensive line in the NFL. Thus, Vasquez and Unger win out. Since Week 4 Vasquez has played every snap and only been called for one penalty and he has also been one of the best screen blockers in the league for LT and Sproles. Unger played center in college but has played right guard for the Seahawks. ProFootballFocus.com grades Unger as the fourth best pass blocker this year among all guards and he has only allowed one sack all season.

Center: Alex Mack, CLE

If you re-watch Jerome Harrison’s 286 yard game against the Chiefs, you should notice that many of Harrison’s long runs were when he ran behind his center. For the season, Harrison is averaging 6.3 yards per carry when running on either side of the center compared to 4.1 when running off guard or off tackle.

This why Darren Sharper is still unsigned

2010-03-23T18:50:00.002-05:00

To say that the Saints got Darren Sharper at a bargain in 2009 would be an understatement. Sharper was the 36th highest paid safety last season at about $1.7 million. He made less than such guys as Sean Considine (JAX) and Will Allen (TB), two guys who didn't even start for their teams. With Sharper getting 9 INTs and garnering an All-Pro selection, it's clear that he outplayed his contract that he signed with New Orleans. So why is he still not signed as of March 23? The charts below may provide some insight:

***I only looked at seasons from 1978 to the present due to the adoption of the illegal contact penalty in 1978.

When researching this, I never would have imagined that this stat would appear nearly 100% symmetrical on a graph. As you can see, there are as many occurrences of 2-INT seasons as 4-INT seasons, as many 1-INT seasons as 5-INT seasons, and as many 0-INT seasons as 6-INT seasons. Only one safety since 1978 has posted back-to-back 8 INT seasons (which is something I'm sure those negotiating with Sharper's agent are aware of). Keith Lyle had 9 INTs in '96 and 8 INTs in '97 (and didn't make a Pro Bowl in either year!).

The inconsistent number of high-INT seasons is a reason why Sharper isn't getting much love in free agency. No one outside of he and his agent expect him to post 9 INTs in 2010 after having 9 in 2009. Not only are players inconsistent from year to year, they can be inconsistent from game to game as Sharper was in 2009. He had more INTs in the first four games (5) than he had in the last 15 games (4) including the playoffs.

And then there's the age factor:

Rod Woodson (age 37 in 2002) is the only safety aged 35 or older to record more than 4 INTs in a season, and that's not since 1978, that is since 1920. Sharper will turn 35 mid-season and he doesn't have quite the resume of Woodson who was a first ballot Hall-of-Famer before the '02 season. But if Sharper can overcome age and history by putting up a 2010 season along the lines of his 2009 season, then he will too one day join Rod Woodson in Canton.

Interesting Stats from 3/19/10 NBA Games

2010-03-20T01:32:00.000-05:00

Amare Stoudemire scored 44 points on just 16 FGAs in the Suns win over the Jazz. Since 1986, that is the second most points a player has scored in a game in which he had 16 or fewer FGAs. Gilbert Arenas had 46 in a game in 2006 on 16 FGAs.
LeBron James passed the 15,000 point plateau in route to scoring 29 in the Cavs' win over the Bulls. James broke Kobe Bryant's records for being the youngest and quickest to 15,000 points. He reached the mark at 25 while Bryant was 27 and James accomplished the feat in 117 fewer games.
The Spurs scored 147 points against the Warriors which is the most they've scored in the Tim Duncan-era. You would have to go back to a 1990 game vs. Denver to find the last time they scored more (161).
Speaking of Duncan, two days after having the worst shooting game of his career vs. Orlando (1 for 10), Duncan had the best shooting game of his career vs. the Warriors by going 8 for 8 from the field.
Corey Maggette scored 30 points against San Antonio on only 14 field goal attempts. It's the fourth time this season he's gone for at least 30 on 14 or fewer FGAs. Dwight Howard has done it twice but no other player in the league has done it more than once.
Tracy McGrady went 0-7 in the Knicks win over the 76ers to give him the worst shooting game of his career. McGrady went scoreless in 29 minutes of action which is also the most minutes he's played in a game without scoring.
Marcus Camby pulled down 19 rebounds in the Trail Blazers win over the Wizards, but he scored just 2 points. Since 2000 this is just the sixth time a player has had at least 19 rebounds but 2 or fewer points in a game. Camby's now done it twice, Ben Wallace did it three times and Reggie Evans did it once.

Age Study: NFL Wide Receivers

2010-03-16T17:14:00.002-05:00

Note: If a player's birthday occurred during the season, then that entire season would be counted under the age in which he turned. Ex: Reggie Wayne turned 31 mid-season in November 2009 so his entire 2009 season is classified at the age of 31.

It's quite obvious from looking at the chart that the biggest drop-off occurs at the age of 36. There are 73% fewer occurrences of 1000 yard receiving seasons at 36 than at 35. In the 90 seasons of the NFL, there have only been 5 occurrences in which a player had 1000 receiving yards at the age of 36 or older and three of those were by the same player (Jerry Rice at ages 36, 39, and 40). The other two were Joey Galloway and Jimmy Smith at age 36.

Notable receivers who will be on the wrong side of 35 in 2010 include Terrell Owens (37) and Derrick Mason (36). With the Ravens' trade for Anquan Boldin, Mason is the clear #2 WR for a team that is run-first so his quest for a 9th 1000-yard receiving season (which would be tied for 3rd most all time) will likely fall short in 2010. Owens doesn't have a team as of mid-March and is likely to latch on to a bottom-feeder as he did with Buffalo last year. That's not good news for TO as in 2009 there were 20 receivers with 1000 yards but none of those 20 played on a team with a losing record. It certainly won't help if TO is catching balls from someone like JaMarcus Russell, Jake Delhomme, or even Tim Tebow in 2010. Owens doesn't have the speed of Galloway, the hands of Smith, or the dedication of Rice and it would be nothing short of a miracle if Owens can somehow go for 1,000 receiving yards in 2010.

Interesting Stats from 3/12/10 NBA Games

2010-03-12T23:39:00.000-06:00

Chauncey Billups hit 2 three-pointers in the Nuggets win over the Hornets to give him 1560 for his career. That moves him ahead of Glen Rice and into 6th place all time in three pointers made.
Starting in place of Rodney Stuckey, Will Bynum recorded 20 assists in the Pistons win over the Wizards. But Bynum scored just 5 points which is the second fewest a player has scored in a game in which they had at least 20 assists. Steve Nash had 21 assists and 4 points in a game in 2007.
Kevin Durant scored 32 points against the Nets and now has scored at least 25 points in 57 games this season. To put that into perspective, the most times Kobe Bryant has scored at least 25 points in a season was back in 05-06 (68 times). But apart from that season, Bryant has never scored at least 25 points as many times as Durant has already done this season.
It's hard to win a game whenever you get outrebounded by 13, but it's even harder to win a game whenever just 4 players on the opposing team outrebound your entire team. That was the case in New Orleans as the Hornets grabbed just 36 rebounds while Nene, Johan Petro, Carmelo, and Chris Anderson combined for 41 boards.
Chalk this up to rust after missing 2 games: LeBron James went 3-10 on 3PAs and 6-12 on FTAs in the Cavs win over Philadelphia. It was his lowest 3P% in a game with at least 10 3PAs and just the fourth time he's shot 50% or lower in FTs in a game with at least 12 FTAs.
After committing 7 turnovers on March 5 and then 9 turnovers on March 12, Russell Westbrook now has more 7+ turnover games in the past 8 days than Muggsy Bogues had in 889 career games (1).
You would think that simply playing with Steve Nash would help you become a better passer but apparently that's not the case for Robin Lopez. Lopez has now played 852 minutes this season and only has 5 assists. However, that's still 5 more assists than Portland's Jeff Pendergraph who has yet to record an assist in 360 minutes.

Stats Don't Lie is now a part of Sports Blog Net

2010-03-09T12:24:00.000-06:00

I am delighted to report that Stats Don't Lie has officially joined Sports Blog Net. Sports Blog Net is a network of blogs who aim to provide you with the most interesting and insightful sports blogs around. You can visit their network by clicking on the hyperlink above and I invite you to check out some of their other blogs for more great sports content. If you fancy yourself a sportswriter or you already have your own blog, you can also contact them to see if you are a match for their network.

Age Study: MLB Stolen Bases

2010-03-04T21:52:00.004-06:00

The two biggest percentage drop-offs come at ages 33 and 36. At 33, there are 54% fewer occurrences of 30+ stolen bases seasons than at 32. At 36, there are 47% fewer occurrences of 30+ stolen bases than at 35. No other year-to-year drop-off has a percentage of over 40%. Why is there such a drop-off at these ages? I’ll leave that question to the mathematicians and instead, I will profile players who will be these ages in 2010 and point out their significant stats from ’09 that should help extrapolate their results for 2010. Let’s start with the old guys:

Derek Jeter (turns 36 in June; 30 SB in 2009) How much of a difference did hitting first in the Yankees’ lineup affect Jeter’s stolen base opportunities? Jeter had 418 stolen base opportunities in 2009 after having 288 opportunities in 2008 when he hit second. That is a huge difference (just ask Johnny Damon) and let Jeter nearly triple his total of SB from 2008 (11). Those opportunities will still be there in 2010, but there is one stat that leads me to believe that Jeter’s legs won’t be as productive as last year and that is extra bases taken percentage (XBT%). Jeter’s career XBT% is 47% and the 2009 league average was 39%; but Jeter’s 2009 XBT% came in at just 38% which is the second lowest mark in his 14 year career. Need further proof that Jeter’s legs are not what they once were even with the 30 SB in 2009? In 2009 Jeter’s rate of grounding into a double play (GIDP %) was 17% which was 6% higher than the league average and the second highest percentage of his career. Prediction: 18-20 SB (hitting 1st), 14-17 SB (hitting 2nd).

Bobby Abreu (turned 36 in March; 30 SB in 2009) How’s this for a stat: in 2009 Bobby Abreu became the heaviest player since 1900 to steal at least 30 bases at the age of 35 or older. In fact, he is just one of three players that weighed over 200 lbs. to steal 20 bases (the others were Gary Sheffield and Paul O’Neill). History is not on Abreu’s side for his chances to repeat this feat in 2010 despite last year’s extra bases taken percentage (XBT%) and SB% being in line with his career averages. His GIDP% was at a career high in 2009 while his doubles and extra bases hit percentage (XBH %) were both at career lows. He also seemed to fade down the stretch last year like many others on this list. Abreu had more SB in April and May (15 for 15) than he had in June, July, August, and September combined (14 for 22). The only thing working in his favor over last year actually has to do with the departure of Chone Figgins (and his .393 OBP) from hitting in front of Abreu. The combo of Erick Aybar and Maicer Izturis, who will likely split time at leadoff, had an OBP that was about 40 points lower than Figgins’ in 2009. That means Abreu will have more situations with himself on 1st and 2nd base open as opposed to last year when he would be on 1st and Figgins would often be on 2nd,thus preventing a SBO. Prediction: 22-24 SB.
Ichiro (turned 36 in October 2009; 26 SB in 2009) Thanks to an ulcer to start the season and a calf injury later on, Ichiro’s 26 stolen bases were his lowest since joining the Mariners in 2001. But even when he was running, Ichiro wasn’t as efficient as he was in the past. His SB% was 74% which is lower than his career percentage of 82% (entering 2009). It was also just above the league average of 72% for 2009 and one would hardly consent that Ichiro is just a “slightly above-average” base stealer. The arrival of Chone Figgins into the #2 hole will both help and hurt Ichiro. It helps because Figgins is a patient hitter who sees lots of pitches (ranked 4th in AL in pitches per plate appearance) and that will give Ichiro more opportunities to steal a base. But his arrival also hurts because Figgins is also a speed demon and he will be expected to relieve some of the base running burden that has been on Ichiro’s shoulders over the past 9 years and that will likely keep Ichiro from ever reaching 30 steals again. Prediction: 22-25 SB.

Johnny Damon (turned 36 in November 2009; 12 SB in 2009) Damon hasn’t reached 30 SB in a season since turning 30 seven years ago but he should certainly increase his mark of 12 steals last year. Damon will likely bat second for Detroit as former Yankees’ top prospect, Austin Jackson, is expected to bat first. That will decrease his SB opportunities as it did last year with Damon behind Jeter but in ’09 Damon posted some of the best metrics of his career. He was 12/12 in SB attempts and his XBT% of 52% was 13 points above the MLB average. There’s also the Yankee Stadium factor: what was a homerun last year in New York may only be a double or even a single this year in Detroit which will give him a few more chances at a steal. The only meaningful number that fell off this past season was Damon’s infield hits. In 2005 he led the AL with 35 infield hits but by 2009 that number had been cut in half to 18. Nonetheless, expect an increase over last year’s total of 12 but 20 SB may be a little too much to ask for. Prediction: 15-17 SB.

Now onto those players who will be 33 this season:

Carlos Beltran (turns 33 in April; 11 SB in 2009) After returning in September from his knee injury, Beltran did not even attempt to steal a base. Perhaps he was still worried about the lingering effects of the bone bruise that knocked him out 69 games. This is significant because Beltran just had surgery in January 2010 and he will likely be going through the same mental barriers that he went through last year. Expect him to be like A-Rod last year following his hip injury in which he started off cautiously in running and then picked things up once he felt comfortable with his legs. Looking at his ’09 metrics, Beltran had a noticeable increase in GIDP% (14%) which was at nearly twice his career average of 7.5%. That percentage was the highest of his career and he grounded into 9 double plays (in 357 PAs) after grounding into just 11 double plays in 2008 (706 PAs). Another thing going against Beltran in 2010 is his spot in the batting order. After spending most of his career batting 3rd, he will likely slide to 4th or 5th as David Wright will hit 3rd and Jason Bay could hit 4th. That means fewer plate appearances which translates into fewer opportunities to reach base and attempt a steal. Prediction: 14-17 SB.

Scott Podsednik (turned 34 in March; 30 SB in 2009) Podsednik is similar to another famous KC athlete, Priest Holmes, in that they were both productive in their 30s due to not having much tread on their tires in their 20s. Podsednik didn’t become a starter until he was 27 so he has fresh legs on his side. Another advantage he has is that now he will be an everyday player for the Royals after not playing at all in April in ’09 and yielding playing time to Alexis Rios in August and September with the White Sox. Podsednik’s 2009 XBT% and GIDP% were both par for his career and he even set a new career high in infield hits last year so his legs are definitely still there. He’s never had fewer than 30 steals in a season in which he’s had at least 500 at-bats and I don’t see that streak ending this year. Prediction: 30-32 SB.

Juan Pierre (turns 33 in August; 30 SB in 2009) Even though he won’t be 33 until August, I decided to put Pierre on this list because he’s the active leader in SB and at this point, that stat is the only thing fantasy players will draft him for. Pierre is a high volume guy when it comes to SB; he steals a lot and he gets caught stealing a lot (led league in caught stealing 5 times). Now that he’s in Chicago he gets to be an everyday player again and in the 7 years in which he’s had at least 500 ABs, he’s reached at least 45 SB all 7 times. There was no noticeable decline in his play or metrics last season as his XBT%, SB%, and GIDP% were all in par with his career percentages. Don’t be surprised by a slow (running) start for Pierre as he has traditionally not run as much when the weather is cold in April and May as it was when he played for the Rockies and Cubs. But he should pick things up over the summer and will once again be among the league leaders in steals. Prediction: 40-42 SB.

Glossary
GIDP % - Grounded Into Double Play %: The rate at which a batter grounded into a double play.
XBH % - Extra Base Hit %: Percentage of all plate appearances ending with a double, triple, or home run.
XBT % - Extra Base Take %: Percentage of times the runner advanced more than one base on a single or more than two bases on a double.
SB % - Stolen Base %: Stolen Bases/(Stolen Bases + Caught Stealing)

Interesting Stats from 2/26/10 NBA Games

2010-02-27T09:50:00.000-06:00

Jason Kidd turned back the clock with his performance against the Hawks. Kidd had 19 points, 16 rebounds, and 17 assists to score his 103rd career triple double. This was Kidd's second career game with at least 16-16-16 and he, Magic Johnson, and Larry Bird are the only players to have a 16-16-16 statline in the last 29 years.
Kidd also had two steals in that game to give him 2309 for his career. That number puts him ahead of Scottie Pippen for fifth on the career list. He's now just one steal away from tying Maurice Cheeks for 4th all time.
Josh Smith also put up a great statline in that game as he had 18 points, 11 rebounds, 8 assists, and 7 steals. He's only the second player in the last 20 years to reach those numbers in a single game. It was last done by Kevin Garnett in a 1999 game against the Hawks.
The Wizards blocked 13 shots in their loss to the Knicks which more than doubles their season average of 5 blocks per game. It's the first time that the Washington Wizards blocked that many shots in a game but the Washington Bullets last did so in a 1996 game against the Seattle Supersonics. I'm sure all the 2 year olds reading this blog are wondering who the Bullets and Supersonics are.
Russell Westbrook had 18 points, 15 assists, and 8 rebounds as the Thunder beat the Timberwolves to end their two game skid. Westbrook, who just turned 21 in November, is the fourth youngest player since 1986 to have at least 15 points and 15 assists in a game. The only players who were younger are LeBron James, Chris Paul, and Stephon Marbury.
You've got to give props to the Rockets for putting an emphasis on making free throws. Both Luis Scola and Kevin Martin went to the line 14 times in their win over the Spurs, and both players made all 14 of their foul shots. It's the first time (at least since 1986) that two players had a perfect FT% in a game in which they each had at least 14 attempts.
Congratulations to Joe Johnson for getting his much-coveted 4th block of the season in the Hawks loss to Dallas. The 6'8" uber-athletic Johnson now only needs one more block to match the season total of 5'9" Nate Robinson.

NFL WR Catch % (35-50 Receptions)

2010-02-24T13:03:00.001-06:00

This chart shows the Catch % of the NFL wide receivers who had in between 35 and 50 receptions in 2009. This is different than the catch % you may have seen on other sites because this chart completely removes the QB out of the equation. Other sites describe catch % as the number of receptions divided by the number of times targeted. This is simply the number of receptions divided by the number of catchable passes (receptions/(receptions + drops)). For example, if a player had 90 receptions but 10 drops then his catch % would be (90/(90+10)) = 90%. Poor, off-target passes are taken out of the equation so this gauges a receiver's hands instead of factoring in his QB's ability (or inability) to deliver an on-target pass.

NFL Running Backs' Catch %

2010-02-23T20:31:00.000-06:00

This chart shows the Catch % of the NFL running backs who had at least 30 receptions in 2009. This is different than the catch % you may have seen on other sites because this chart completely removes the QB out of the equation. Other sites describe catch % as the number of receptions divided by the number of times targeted. This is simply the number of receptions divided by the number of catchable passes (receptions/(receptions + drops)). For example, if a player had 90 receptions but 10 drops then his catch % would be (90/(90+10)) = 90%. Poor, off-target passes are taken out of the equation so this gauges a receiver's hands instead of factoring in his QB's ability (or inability) to deliver an on-target pass.

NFL Tight Ends Catch %

2010-02-22T12:51:00.000-06:00

This chart shows the Catch % of the top 30 NFL tight ends in 2009. This is different than the catch % you may have seen on other sites because this chart completely removes the QB out of the equation. Other sites describe catch % as the number of receptions divided by the number of times targeted. This is simply the number of receptions divided by the number of catchable passes (receptions/(receptions + drops)). For example, if a player had 90 receptions but 10 drops then his catch % would be (90/(90+10)) = 90%. Poor, off-target passes are taken out of the equation so this gauges a receiver's hands instead of factoring in his QB's ability (or inability) to deliver an on-target pass.

NFC WR Catch % (50 or more receptions)

2010-02-21T11:31:00.001-06:00

This chart shows the Catch % of the NFC wide receivers with at least 50 receptions in 2009. This is different than the catch % you may have seen on other sites because this chart completely removes the QB out of the equation. Other sites describe catch % as the number of receptions divided by the number of times targeted. This is simply the number of receptions divided by the number of catchable passes (receptions/(receptions + drops)). For example, if a player had 90 receptions but 10 drops then his catch % would be (90/(90+10)) = 90%. Poor, off-target passes are taken out of the equation so this gauges a receiver's hands instead of factoring in his QB's ability (or inability) to deliver an on-target pass.

Interesting Stats from NBA Games, 2/19/10

2010-02-20T00:56:00.002-06:00

The Memphis Grizzlies managed just 87 points even though they went to double overtime against Miami. It was the fewest points scored in a double-OT game since Dallas scored 85 in a 1998 game vs. Indiana.
The high-scoring Phoenix Suns scored just 88 points in their win over Atlanta, but they still won the game. Since Steve Nash re-joined the team in 2004, it was only the third time that Phoenix won a game despite reaching 90 points.
In that same game, Phoenix made only 2 three-pointers which is the fewest they've made in a game since not making any on March 27, 2004 which was the last season before the Nash-era began.
Though Orlando lost to Dallas, Dwight Howard had a Superman effort with 29 points, 16 rebounds, and 5 blocked shots. Since the start of the 2007 season, Howard now has 6 games where he's posted a 25-15-5 statline. The rest of the NBA has combined for just 6 such games over that same period.
Since his 55 point game in November, the season has just gone downhill for Brandon Jennings. Jennings went 1-13 from the field against Detroit but still managed to finish with 10 points. Jennings month-by-month FG% from October to February looks like this 52%-42%-38%-32%-31%.
Darren Collison recorded a triple double with 18 points, 13 rebounds, and 12 assists (and also 8 turnovers). The UCLA rookie is the 5th youngest player since 2000 to have a 12-12-12 statline in a game. The others from youngest to oldest were LeBron, CP3, Jay Williams, and Gilbert Arenas.
It was a very inauspicious debut for Antawn Jamison with the Cavs as he went 0-12 and finished with 2 points. Since 2000, only 7 other players went 0-12 (or worse) from the field in a game including Vince Carter, Zach Randolph, and Gilbert Arenas.
Since coming into the NBA in 1967, no team has blocked more shots than the San Antonio Spurs. But they failed to block any shots in their loss to the 76ers on Friday. It was only the 11th time in the last 20 years (start of David Robinson-era) that San Antonio did not block a shot in a game.

AFC WR Catch % (50 or more receptions)

2010-02-19T12:40:00.002-06:00

This shows the Catch % of the AFC wide receivers with at least 50 receptions in 2009. This is different than the catch % you may have seen on other sites because this chart completely removes the QB out of the equation. Other sites describe catch % as the number of receptions divided by the number of times targeted. This is simply the number of receptions divided by the number of catchable passes (receptions/(receptions + drops)). For example, if a player had 90 receptions but 10 drops then his catch % would be (90/(90+10)) = 90%. Poor, off-target passes are taken out of the equation so this gauges a receiver's hands instead of factoring in his QB's ability (or inability) to deliver an on-target pass.

A Look at PER Compared to Salary for 2010 NBA All Stars

2010-02-13T11:34:00.000-06:00

Any player named to the All-Star team (injured or not) is represented in this chart. Kobe Bryant, Chris Paul, Brandon Roy, and Allen Iverson will not play.
The player with the highest salary who did not make the All-Star team is Tracy McGrady. His salary of $23,239,561 leads the NBA. If he doesn't play again this season then McGrady would have made $500,000 for every minute he's played this year.
The player with the highest PER who did not make the All-Star team is Kevin Love whose player efficiency rating is 22.71 which is 12th in the NBA and puts him in between Kobe Bryant and Brandon Roy.
Greg Oden will finish the season with a PER of 23.43 which is currently 8th in the NBA.
Among the 12 players who will dress for each team, only 6 from the East and 5 from the West actually beat the linear trend line.