https://fansided.com/2017/08/09/nylon-calculus-ranking-best-worst-scorers-every-offensive-role/

Modern basketball offenses are devoted to the pursuit of efficiency; but, frustratingly, it’s not entirely straightforward to identify who are the NBA’s most-efficient scorers. The league’s antiquated measure of scoring efficiency — field goal percentage — has been replaced by its more-sophisticated cousin, true shooting percentage; but the business of efficiency ranking is still a bit murky. Consider this year’s true-shooting top-10 — which includes superstars (No. 3 Kevin Durant and No. 10 Stephen Curry), supporting role players (No. 6 Kyle Korver and No. 7 Otto Porter), and dunk-only big men (No. 1 Rudy Gobert and No. 2 DeAndre Jordan).

Of course, the trouble is that a player’s efficiency is closely tied to the difficulty of the shots he takes. Players who are asked to take more-difficult shots for their teams can be forgiven for shooting lower percentages. In contrast, players who feast on wide open or very short shots may convert a higher percentage, but they’re not necessarily great scorers. So, to rank the best scorers in the league, it’s necessary to first consider the roles they play within their offenses.

Below, I group players by their offensive roles and then rank the scorers within each group.

martin wrote:Big fan of this Blog, they really delve into stats and numbers to come up with some interesting thoughts, etc. Too long to post and there are some very nice graphs, pics

https://fansided.com/2017/08/09/nylon-calculus-ranking-best-worst-scorers-every-offensive-role/

Modern basketball offenses are devoted to the pursuit of efficiency; but, frustratingly, it’s not entirely straightforward to identify who are the NBA’s most-efficient scorers. The league’s antiquated measure of scoring efficiency — field goal percentage — has been replaced by its more-sophisticated cousin, true shooting percentage; but the business of efficiency ranking is still a bit murky. Consider this year’s true-shooting top-10 — which includes superstars (No. 3 Kevin Durant and No. 10 Stephen Curry), supporting role players (No. 6 Kyle Korver and No. 7 Otto Porter), and dunk-only big men (No. 1 Rudy Gobert and No. 2 DeAndre Jordan).

Of course, the trouble is that a player’s efficiency is closely tied to the difficulty of the shots he takes. Players who are asked to take more-difficult shots for their teams can be forgiven for shooting lower percentages. In contrast, players who feast on wide open or very short shots may convert a higher percentage, but they’re not necessarily great scorers. So, to rank the best scorers in the league, it’s necessary to first consider the roles they play within their offenses.

Below, I group players by their offensive roles and then rank the scorers within each group.

It actually brings an interesting point that in many ways every player is a role player.
With role being the most efficient use of his skills.
Star player is player who can take on different roles and still be equally efficient.
More roles the player can fill more closer he gets to supper-star level.
You can take players like Durant, or Greek, orHarden, or Westbrook and they can be efficient in multiple roles.
And you can look at Melo who is efficient only in one role.
This were the clear separation is most visible.
Player who is crazy good in only one role can only be a complimentary player and succeed only on very specific settings.
No team can be build around such player.
We may have this kind of diverse talent in KP but this is to be seen.
Team should be collecting assets and cap space for exactly one reason to be able to get this kind of player when he will became available.

meloshouldgo wrote:What did you find in that article that showed Melo was good at anything? Melo came second in a group of 2 for his own chosen style of play with which he has persisted no matter what. I think this approach does a lot to classify players based on their style of play, it also looks at %ge of shoot clock used. I wanted to see how people would stack up if their PPP was normalized by shot clock usage, I can guarantee Melo would be in the bottom 5 if not the worst in the whole NBA.

It was based on last season. And he was rated worst not 2nd. Shows that the NBA teams don't really favor Iso wings. Since only he and Harrison Barnes are the only ones to have the usage and shots at the rate they do apparently.

Melo is a really good catch and shoot player and if that role he would excel offensively anyway. But he also views himself as a star and not just a catch and shoot role player who can also put the ball on the floor and post some. Those things should come off his catch and shoot ability as teams overplay. When Melo accepts what he is and what he isn't anymore then he can find a situation to excel and win in. Houston of course would be the spot he wants to do that in. And they prepared to cover his weaknesses with signing guys like Tucker & Moute & Black. To go with Capela & Ariza & Paul.

For years people have spoken about Melo being better when he goes quick, meaning not hold it and go into ISO mode. It's a choice he makes that seems to go against everything he's best at. Not that he's not a great ISO scorer but he would be so much more efficient doing less of that.

I'm looking forward to KP improving and getting more efficient. His role changing to be more of a focal point should help him as he diversifies his game. Being in the Skilled Big Man category he has so much potential. Better ball movement from our Guards in particular will only help KP to get more easy baskets near the basket or in catch n shoot looks.

newyorknewyork wrote:

meloshouldgo wrote:What did you find in that article that showed Melo was good at anything? Melo came second in a group of 2 for his own chosen style of play with which he has persisted no matter what. I think this approach does a lot to classify players based on their style of play, it also looks at %ge of shoot clock used. I wanted to see how people would stack up if their PPP was normalized by shot clock usage, I can guarantee Melo would be in the bottom 5 if not the worst in the whole NBA.

It was based on last season. And he was rated worst not 2nd. Shows that the NBA teams don't really favor Iso wings. Since only he and Harrison Barnes are the only ones to have the usage and shots at the rate they do apparently.

Melo is a really good catch and shoot player and if that role he would excel offensively anyway. But he also views himself as a star and not just a catch and shoot role player who can also put the ball on the floor and post some. Those things should come off his catch and shoot ability as teams overplay. When Melo accepts what he is and what he isn't anymore then he can find a situation to excel and win in. Houston of course would be the spot he wants to do that in. And they prepared to cover his weaknesses with signing guys like Tucker & Moute & Black. To go with Capela & Ariza & Paul.

Not the case anymore, but Melo was for years one of the best post players in the league. I agree that he should be transitioning to Olympic Melo now, more of a catch and shoot player. But there was a time when he was a lot more than that.

The flaws in his game were also there, which kept him from being a truly elite player like a LeBron, Wade, or Durant.

newyorknewyork wrote:

GustavBahler wrote:

newyorknewyork wrote:

meloshouldgo wrote:What did you find in that article that showed Melo was good at anything? Melo came second in a group of 2 for his own chosen style of play with which he has persisted no matter what. I think this approach does a lot to classify players based on their style of play, it also looks at %ge of shoot clock used. I wanted to see how people would stack up if their PPP was normalized by shot clock usage, I can guarantee Melo would be in the bottom 5 if not the worst in the whole NBA.

It was based on last season. And he was rated worst not 2nd. Shows that the NBA teams don't really favor Iso wings. Since only he and Harrison Barnes are the only ones to have the usage and shots at the rate they do apparently.

Melo is a really good catch and shoot player and if that role he would excel offensively anyway. But he also views himself as a star and not just a catch and shoot role player who can also put the ball on the floor and post some. Those things should come off his catch and shoot ability as teams overplay. When Melo accepts what he is and what he isn't anymore then he can find a situation to excel and win in. Houston of course would be the spot he wants to do that in. And they prepared to cover his weaknesses with signing guys like Tucker & Moute & Black. To go with Capela & Ariza & Paul.

Not the case anymore, but Melo was for years one of the best post players in the league. I agree that he should be transitioning to Olympic Melo now, more of a catch and shoot player. But there was a time when he was a lot more than that.

The flaws in his game were also there, which kept him from being a truly elite player like a LeBron, Wade, or Durant.

The problem though is his finishing ability in the paint has been poor compared to his peers, later on in his career anyway. And he didn't get the calls on contact he should have. His mid range game was up their with Durant. But where his peers Durant and Lebron always killed him at was their % in the paint compared to him.

Good point about the no calls. In spite of what the numbers say, Melo was a tough cover in the paint, according to some of his peers.