Monday, July 26, 2010

NBA Power Forwards 2010 Rankings Analysis

Yesterday I posted the cumulative rankings of NBA power forwards based on their play in the 2009-2010 season when combining five different types of statistical analysis.  Here are my thoughts on the rankings.
  • I mentioned it on the rankings post, but I have to mention it again, I was surprised at the wide margin by which Pau Gasol beat the field.  That is by far the biggest difference between first and second at any of the five positions.  Interestingly, Gasol did not finish first in any of the five categories.  In fact, his highest category ranking was third.
  • The rest of the power forward pack is quite close.  Kevin Garnett and Dirk Nowitzki are neck and neck for second and third with Josh Smith right behind them.
  • The category winners are Chris Bosh in PER, Amir Johnson in Offensive Rating, Tyrus Thomas in Defensive Rating, Josh Smith in WARP and Dirk Nowitzki in Simple Rating.  This is the only position in which a different player won each category.
  • Guys that ranked higher than I expected - Marcus Camby, Ryan Anderson, Troy Murphy and Matt Bonner.
  • Ranking lower than my expectations are - Chris Bosh, Rashard Lewis and Jeff Green.
  • I was really surprised by Jeff Green's ranking.  I thought I had heard good things about him and I figured that with the Thunder excelling Green must have been playing a big part.  Add in the fact that he is competing for a spot on Team USA and I thought he must have had a good year.  Boy was I wrong.
  • It's worth noting that Chris Bosh was really hurt by his Defensive Rating.  He was 62nd in the category.  In the other categories he finished first, second twice and seventh.  I highly doubt he'll have the same poor Defensive Rating next season.
  • I was shocked to see how far Rashard Lewis has fallen.  His final rank of 36th can be attributed to an all-around poorly played season. 
  • There are a number of guys on this list that will be asked to really step up next season like Kevin Love, Amir Johnson, Tyrus Thomas, Andray Blatche and Danilo Gallinari.  It will be fun to watch to see if they are up to the task.
What are your biggest surprises?

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