The Real Reason Spurs Players Are Underrated

In the next two weeks, we’re going to hear all the explanations for why the Spurs get so little publicity. The most popular reasons – they’re businesslike, they feature an unselfish balanced attack, and they play in a small market – are somewhat accurate. However, the main reason Spurs players get so little publicity is simple – they don’t play a lot.

San Antonio did not have a single player average 30 minutes per game during the regular season. Every other NBA team had at least two, and most clubs had three or four. What does this have to do with publicity? Most of the media still uses meaningless per game stats for evaluation, and it is hard to shine in these categories while getting so few minutes per game.

Only one Spurs player, Tony Parker, ranked among the league’s top 50 in points per game (minimum: 1,000 minutes played), and he placed 45^th. Points per 40 minutes, which evaluates scoring far better, tells a completely different story. San Antonio placed four players in the top 50 in points per 40 minutes – Parker, Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, and Patty Mills) – which tied the Suns for most in the league.

The Spurs had five players among the top 50 in John Hollinger’s PER (Player Efficiency Rating), with Kawhi Leonard joining the aforementioned group. That led all NBA teams. Their NBA Finals opponent is the only other team with four. PER also does not get impacted by playing time.

Parker ranked just 15th among point guards with 16.7 points per game. However, he placed seventh with 22.7 points per 40 minutes. He doesn’t play nearly as much as other elite point guards, and that’s the main reason he gets less attention.

Given the rapid growth of the San Antonio market – combined with the soaring population of Austin just an hour and a half to the north – it’s not exactly remote. The Spurs also do not possess a balanced attack. Four San Antonio players attempted 15 or more field goals per 40 minutes. Only the Pistons (five) had more. The Spurs scoring appears balanced because Gregg Popovich distributes playing time so evenly, but Parker, Duncan and Ginobili all have high usage rates.

Like so many topics in sports that get overanalyzed, the truth is in the numbers.

 

Better Sports Statistics and Missed Opportunities

Moving beyond core statistics has immense benefits for anybody associated with or interested in sports. Advanced metrics – or even relatively simple per minute stats – bring greater insight and understanding.

It takes a look inside the numbers to see the value of players like Joel Anthony. The ABC announcers missed a great chance to do so in Game Two of the NBA Finals. When Anthony made an amazing block, commentator Jeff Van Gundy joked that play-by-play man Mike Breen would have been far more expressive had LeBron James made the play. Did anybody on the broadcast realize that Anthony is the second-greatest shot blocker in Miami Heat history? Don’t the viewers deserve such insight?

Among Heat players with 1000 career minutes played, only Alonzo Mourning (3.67) blocked more shots per 40 minutes than Anthony (3.01). They rank one-two in block percentage as well, which estimates the percentage of opposing two-point shots a player swats while on the court. Unfortunately, that’s not the type of information provided during telecasts, at least not yet.

Anthony is so good defensively that it enables him to contribute despite obvious shortcomings in his game. According to ESPN.com’s Tom Haberstroh, the Heat outscored their opponents by over 19 points per 100 possessions during the regular season when Anthony played with James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. With this sensational shot blocker positioned down low, the Heat can play tight defense on the perimeter and force turnovers.

Anthony has increased his blocks per 40 minutes figure during the playoffs (2.85 through June 6) compared to the regular season (2.54). He also had Miami’s best postseason plus/minus figure (+88).

As detailed in a recent post, analytics tell a great story. None of these statistics are confusing or difficult to explain, and they show the impact Anthony has on the game.

Agents and clubs officials see the value of advanced metrics, and use them because they increase bargaining power and influence lucrative contracts. It will take some time before sports analytics has a major presence on game broadcasts, stadium and arena video boards, and sports talk radio. But it will arrive, and it won’t be long.