Tag: DunkWire

Analytics MVP 4.0: Who are the best players based on advanced analytics and impact metrics?

As part of a series at HoopsHype, we are examining who should win the NBA MVP award based on what we can learn from advanced analytics.

For this survey, each impact metric was included because it was considered among the most trustworthy by NBA executives when asked by HoopsHype during this past offseason.

The metrics pulled included Daily Plus-Minus (DPM), Estimated Plus-Minus (EPM), LEBRON (BBall-Index), RAPTOR (FiveThirtyEight), Player Efficiency Rating (Basketball-Reference), Box Plus-Minus (Basketball-Reference). We also added the alternative model of Box Plus-Minus from Backpicks.com as well as the newest impact metric, Daily-Updated Rating of Individual Performance (DRIP).

For the first time thus far, ESPN’s Real Plus-Minus (RPM) was also included.

Coley Cleary

Because all of these metrics (except PER) are graded on a per-100 possession scale, we adjusted for playing time by multiplying their impact contribution on each metric by the percentage of possible minutes they have played for their team so far this season.

As with the official vote, the top player received 10 points, the second received seven points, the third received five points, the fourth received three points, and the fifth player received one point. If a player finished outside of the Top 5, they didn’t receive any votes from that measurement.

Only players that made the Top 5 on least one of these nine metrics were included in our rankings below. Some of the most notable omissions include Kevin Durant, Rudy Gobert, Devin Booker, Jrue Holiday, Donovan Mitchell, Jimmy Butler, Fred VanVleet, James Harden, and Ja Morant.

To see who is performing the best based on HoopsHype’s Global Rating, click here. All stats are accurate as of March 27, 2022. 

NBA draft stock watch: 12 prospects who are skyrocketing after first weekend of March Madness

Every year during March Madness, there are players who are able to step up on the biggest stage and perform well under the brightest lights.

Evaluators rely on a much wider sample size than just the small amount of time players get to perform during the NCAA men’s basketball tournament. However, playing well in high-pressure environments doesn’t hurt your odds of getting drafted.

With that in mind, we surveyed the field to get a sense of some players who have been able to use their time in the tournament to improve their NBA draft stock.

This is not the only way to get noticed and earn a spot on a professional roster, of course, but it can help make a case for why one player may be a more enticing fit than another.

Three reasons why top NBA draft prospect Chet Holmgren is going to thrive in the pros

Gonzaga Bulldogs star big man Chet Holmgren is a polarizing NBA draft prospect, but there are plenty of reasons to believe he will succeed.

Holmgren, 19, is a 7-footer who offers a unique skill set for someone his size. Not only can he block shots, but he can shoot three-pointers as well. He also can handle the ball and take it up the floor, which is especially exciting for a prospect his height.

As he continues to impress during action in March Madness, scouts around the league who have spoken to HoopsHype are continuing to fall more and more in love with the Gonzaga standout.

One scout who spoke to HoopsHype on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly on behalf of their team said they have moved Holmgren to their No. 1 overall spot on their big board after the opening weekend of the tournament.

The scout remarked that in addition to his size and length and other on-court skills the big man has showcased, Holmgren also had a fantastic “disposition and demeanor” on display.

Holmgren, who ranked No. 2 overall on our latest aggregate mock draft, is playing well under the bright lights and big stage of the NCAA tournament.

Although no prospect is a sure thing to succeed in the NBA, and there are valid concerns about how his game might translate, it is a good time to start buying into his long-term potential.

As the tournament continues and Holmgren has helped Gonzaga punch a ticket into the Sweet Sixteen, here are a few facts you need to know about his game:

Aggregate NBA mock draft 4.0: Duke’s AJ Griffin is soaring back into the top tier

The best prospects in the world are all competing for the top spot in the 2022 NBA draft and it is hard to sort how everyone is stacking up.

In order to help us get a better sense of where all of the projected top prospects in the class stand as of right now, we compiled mock drafts from Draft Express (ESPN), Aran Smith (NBADraft.net), Sam Vecenie (The Athletic), Jonathan Wasserman (Bleacher Report), Chad Ford (NBA Big Board), Krysten Peek (Yahoo), Matt Babcock (Basketball News) as well as USA TODAY Sports Media Group’s For The Win.

Please note that these rankings reflect the composite score in order to get a feel for consensus, not our own opinion. Predictions for a first overall pick earned a player 58 points while the second overall pick earned 57 points, the third overall earned 56 points, and so on.

AJ Griffin (Duke), Alondes Williams (Wake Forrest), Iverson Molinar (Mississippi State), Orlando Robinson (Fresno State), Walker Kessler (Fresno State), Justin Lewis (Marquette), Christian Braun (Kansas), and Tari Eason (LSU) have improved their draft stock the most since our most recent update last month.\

The most notable prospects who made their debut on our rankings were Shaedon Sharpe (Kentucky), David Roddy (Colorado State), and Jaylin Williams (Arkansas).

Meanwhile, the top prospects who were not included in any of these recent mock drafts are Daimion Collins (Kentucky), Alex Fudge (LSU), Justin Moore (Villanova), Darius Days (LSU), Jared Rhoden (Seton Hall), Tre Mitchell (Texas), Dawson Garcia (North Carolina), and more.

Otherwise, you can learn the latest updates on every single prospect who has been included in recent mock drafts by scrolling below.

HoopsHype’s Alberto de Roa contributed research to this report

Analytics MVP 3.0: Who are the best players based on advanced analytics and impact metrics?

As part of a new series at HoopsHype, we are examining who should win the NBA MVP award based on what we can learn from advanced analytics.

For this survey, each impact metric was included because it was considered among the most trustworthy by NBA executives when asked by HoopsHype during this past offseason.

The metrics pulled included Daily Plus-Minus (DPM), Estimated Plus-Minus (EPM), LEBRON (BBall-Index), RAPTOR (FiveThirtyEight), Regularized Adjusted Plus-Minus (RAPM), Player Efficiency Rating (Basketball-Reference), Box Plus-Minus (Basketball-Reference). We also added the model of Box Plus-Minus from Backpicks.com as well as the newest impact metric, Daily-Updated Rating of Individual Performance (DRIP).

ESPN’s Real Plus-Minus was not included because the data has not been published yet this season. However, if it’s publicly available by our next update, RPM will also be calculated.

Because all of these metrics (except PER) are graded on a per-100 possession scale, we adjusted for playing time by multiplying their impact contribution on each metric by the percentage of possible minutes they have played for their team so far this season.

As with the official vote, the top player received 10 points, the second received seven points, the third received five points, the fourth received three points, and the fifth player received one point. If a player finished outside of the Top 5, they didn’t receive any votes from that measurement.

Only players that made the Top 5 on least one of these nine metrics were included in our rankings below. Some of the most notable omissions include Rudy Gobert, Karl-Anthony Towns, Kevin Durant, Jimmy Butler, Jarrett Allen, Mike Conley, Donovan Mitchell, Devin Booker, and Ja Morant.

To see who is performing the best based on HoopsHype’s Global Rating, click here. All stats are accurate as of Feb. 17, 2022. 

NBA trade rumors: Three players who can help contenders at the deadline

While we’ve all constantly heard big names like Ben Simmons and James Harden included in trade rumors over the last few weeks, it’s more likely that the players who are traded will make an impact around the edges. It’s exciting to think about Damian Lillard or Bradley Beal in new uniforms, but typically, it’s the role players who are on the ones most often swapped.

As such, we’ve surveyed the league to find three of the most intriguing players who could realistically be soon on their way to a new destination once the deadline arrives. Each of these players projects as someone who could have a positive impact no matter where they wind up.

George Gervin: ‘These youngsters still bring my name up. How special is that?’

Longtime San Antonio Spurs superstar forward George Gervin was recently honored as one of the 75 greatest basketball players in NBA history.

The Hall of Famer, famously nicknamed The Iceman, is a nine-time NBA All-Star and four-time NBA scoring champion who averaged more than 26 points per game during his time in the league. Standing at 6-foot-7, Gervin still has a legacy as one of the greatest shooters – with perhaps the prettiest finger roll – to ever play the game.

Gervin recently caught up with HoopsHype to discuss his thoughts on the season, what he has seen from Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, why he thinks San Antonio guard Dejounte Murray should be an All-Star, some recent comments from Kyle Kuzma, and plenty more.

Analytics MVP 2.0: Who are the best players based on advanced analytics and impact metrics?

As part of a new series at HoopsHype, we are examining who should win the NBA MVP award based on what we can learn from advanced analytics.

For this survey, each impact metric was included because it was considered among the most trustworthy by NBA executives when asked by HoopsHype during this past offseason.

The metrics pulled included Daily Plus-Minus (DPM), Estimated Plus-Minus (EPM), LEBRON (BBall-Index), RAPTOR (FiveThirtyEight), Regularized Adjusted Plus-Minus (RAPM), Player Efficiency Rating (Basketball-Reference), Box Plus-Minus (Basketball-Reference). We also added the model of Box Plus-Minus from Backpicks.com as well as the newest impact metric, Daily-Updated Rating of Individual Performance (DRIP).

ESPN’s Real Plus-Minus was not included because the data has not been published yet this season. However, if it’s publicly available by our next update, RPM will also be calculated.

Because all of these metrics (except PER) are graded on a per-100 possession scale, we adjusted for playing time by multiplying their impact contribution on each metric by the percentage of possible minutes they have played for their team so far this season.

As with the official vote, the top player received 10 points, the second received seven points, the third received five points, the fourth received three points, and the fifth player received one point. If a player finished outside of the Top 5, they didn’t receive any votes from that measurement.

Only players that made the Top 5 on least one of these nine metrics were included in our rankings below. Some of the most notable omissions include Jayson Tatum, Karl-Anthony Towns, Donovan Mitchell, Trae Young, Jimmy Butler, Zach LaVine, Ja Morant, Devin Booker, and Luka Doncic.

To see who is performing the best based on HoopsHype’s Global Rating, click here. All stats are accurate as of Jan. 17, 2022. 

Three in the Key: Explaining why Franz Wagner should win Rookie of the Year

As part of an ongoing series at HoopsHype, we’re breaking down some of the most interesting trends we have seen around the NBA throughout the season.

Of course, the name of this column is derived from basketball’s three-second violation rule. With that in mind, the goal of this exercise is to find one of the most interesting subjects about the game and explain the three keys to why it is happening while also providing context on what makes it interesting.

For this edition, Three in the Key will take a look at someone that has been heating up of late. We’re focusing on Orlando Magic rookie Franz Wagner, who deserves to hear his name in the Rookie of the Year conversation.

Not only does Wagner have the single-game scoring high for rookies so far this season (38 points) but he also owns four of the ten largest scoring nights for first-year players thus far in 2021-22.

Three in the Key: Explaining why Donovan Mitchell belongs in the MVP conversation

As part of an ongoing series at HoopsHype, we’re breaking down some of the most interesting trends we have seen around the NBA throughout the season.

Of course, the name of this column is derived from basketball’s three-second violation rule. With that in mind, the goal of this exercise is to find one of the most interesting subjects about the game and explain the three keys to why it is happening while also providing context on what makes it interesting.

For this edition, Three in the Key will take a look at someone that has been heating up of late. During the broadcast on Christmas, perhaps forgetting about John Stockton and Karl Malone, Stephen A. Smith called him the greatest talent in the history of the franchise. He also ranks as the NBA’s best player over the course of the last month, per HoopsHype’s Global Rating.

We’re talking about Utah Jazz superstar Donovan Mitchell – and why he might be a little bit underrated as perhaps the game’s most elite shot-creator based on these three elements: