Turns out the Thunder are only the 2nd best defensive team this year

[msgkings322]

Yes I know there is more than one metric for this

From Zach Harper at the Athletic:

Spurs (21-7). Technically, San Antonio is on a six-game win streak, even though we watched it lose a basketball game last week. Why? Because the NBA Cup final does not count for the standings. It's just an extra game. The Spurs have also won 13 of their last 16, not counting the Cup final. Regardless, it's not just the fact that they beat the Thunder in the Cup semifinals. This is the best defensive team in the NBA when Wemby is on the floor. We've made a massive deal about the Thunder's defense this season, and rightfully so, with them allowing 103.2 points per 100 possessions. Well, the Spurs with Wemby on the court are allowing just 102.3 points per 100 possessions. The gap between the Thunder and everybody else this season on defense is pretty much historic. Unless one of those other teams has Wemby.

 

[msgkings322]

Other bits from the same article:

Pelicans (7-22). Yes, you're reading this correctly! The Pelicans are on a heater. After starting 3-22 and looking absolutely hopeless despite two good rookies, the Pels have won four straight. New Orleans is playing good team basketball and looks legitimately improved. Trey Murphy III is on fire. Saddiq Bey has been incredible. Rookies Derik Queen and Jeremiah Fears have been excellent. And Zion Williamson has been coming off the bench to manage his minutes better. I doubt any of this is truly sustainable, but it's good to see interim coach James Borrego helping get this team more competitive.

Heat (15-14). Remember Miami’s high-powered, fast-paced offense earlier in this season? That has not so much been the case the last couple of weeks. The Heat’s pace has been significantly slower, dropping down roughly four possessions per game and making their attack look a lot more regular. Their offensive rating has plummeted during a stretch in which they’ve gone 1-7. During these last eight games, the Heat have the fifth-worst offense. Their defense has been middle of the road, but they're not making shots. Their field-goal percentage, 3-point percentage and free-throw percentage are all in the bottom 10 during this scoring drought.

Warriors (14-15). Golden State struggles so much in close games. Five of the Warriors’ last nine losses have come by five or fewer points. Their defense in clutch situations this season is abysmal — only four teams are worse. This team is highly mediocre, and nowhere near what we saw post-Butler trade last season. In fact, this looks exactly like the team it was a year ago before trading for Butler. I'm not sure the Warriors can trade for a second Butler before the deadline this season.

 

[tlance]

Yes I know there is more than one metric for this

From Zach Harper at the Athletic:

Spurs (21-7). Technically, San Antonio is on a six-game win streak, even though we watched it lose a basketball game last week. Why? Because the NBA Cup final does not count for the standings. It's just an extra game. The Spurs have also won 13 of their last 16, not counting the Cup final. Regardless, it's not just the fact that they beat the Thunder in the Cup semifinals. This is the best defensive team in the NBA when Wemby is on the floor. We've made a massive deal about the Thunder's defense this season, and rightfully so, with them allowing 103.2 points per 100 possessions. Well, the Spurs with Wemby on the court are allowing just 102.3 points per 100 possessions. The gap between the Thunder and everybody else this season on defense is pretty much historic. Unless one of those other teams has Wemby.

That doesn’t make them the best defensive team in the league unless Wemby plays 48 minutes.

But he is the best defensive player in the league by far.

 

[DJ Fieri]

That doesn’t make them the best defensive team in the league unless Wemby plays 48 minutes.

But he is the best defensive player in the league by far.

Great points as usual.

 

[thunderc]

having to cherry pick stats to get a team close to the Thunder kind of says it all.

 

[thunderc]

Plus it’s wrong, the Thunder are at 101.7 so they are better overall than when the Spurs have Wemby ion the floor, which is crazy. The Spurs are a great defensive team with him on the floor though no doubt.

 

[bksballer89]

Plus it’s wrong, the Thunder are at 101.7 so they are better overall than when the Spurs have Wemby ion the floor, which is crazy. The Spurs are a great defensive team with him on the floor though no doubt.

Is it impossible that the thunder rating slightly improved after last night?

 

[thunderc]

Is it impossible that the thunder rating slightly improved after last night?

Improve 0.7 in one game averaged over 29 games? Doubtful but the point of the article is made I guess, it’s just not technically accurate.

 

[msgkings322]

having to cherry pick stats to get a team close to the Thunder kind of says it all.

Success! You're a hoot. 'cherry pick' lol

 

[thunderc]

Success! You're a hoot. 'cherry pick' lol

When you grab onto an article that wasn’t true in the first place yeah it’s cherry picking. The article itself was wishful cherry picking.

 

[msgkings322]

When you grab onto an article that wasn’t true in the first place yeah it’s cherry picking. The article itself was wishful cherry picking.

Predictable as always my man

 

[thunderc]

Predictable as always my man

Very predictable, pointing out actual stats.

 

[msgkings322]

Very predictable, pointing out actual stats.

And more!

 

[thunderc]

And more!

You are hilarious when you know you are wrong

 

[msgkings322]

You are hilarious when you know you are wrong

You are more so when you don't

 

[msgkings322]

I wonder if the stats changed after tonight’s game

 

[thunderc]

I wonder if the stats changed after tonight’s game

About as much as they will for one game. Get that calculator out, you were still wrong.

 

[msgkings322]

About as much as they will for one game. Get that calculator out, you were still wrong.

It wasn’t me it was a link to the Athletic. and it’s not wrong, with Wemby on the court the Spurs defense is a little better by one metric. As tlance pointed out, he cant play 48 minutes and he has trouble staying healthy

So don’t worry your guys still got this I think. Clearly the Spurs are their most challenging opponent. You’re so easy to rile up, just say something that implies OKC is less than perfect and here comes thunderc lol

 

[thunderc]

It wasn’t me it was a link to the Athletic. and it’s not wrong, with Wemby on the court the Spurs defense is a little better by one metric. As tlance pointed out, he cant play 48 minutes and he has trouble staying healthy

So don’t worry your guys still got this I think. Clearly the Spurs are their most challenging opponent. You’re so easy to rile up, just say something that implies OKC is less than perfect and here comes thunderc lol

I am not the one that has said they are going to steamroll everyone this season. Not once.

 

[msgkings322]

I am not the one that has said they are going to steamroll everyone this season. Not once.

That’s true, instead you’re the one who gets upset when someone posts a stat showing another team is slightly better at something