Week 1 Points Created Totals for the 1st 5 games - And the leader is... Jakob Poeltl?! - YES!
A few things to talk about -
The title says Jakob Poeltl has been the Spurs' best player through 5 games and that is true. He is playing good ball on both sides of the court. The things he is known for like when he sets hard screens, fights for offensive rebounds, and defends the paint, that part of his game from previous seasons are all still there. But this season, he has gotten more adept at passing the ball, has shown a little bit more of a post-up game with hooks, half-hooks, and rim runs, and even added a bit more touch from 12 feet to his game. For a few seasons, everyone has been telling Jakob to gather and dunk more. Well, he is doing that too. He provided a few against the Lakers and his efficiency is way, way up. He is providing more ways offensively and still has to defend the other team's best post player.
Last season, as a 5th option player, here was Jakob's Points Created Scores for the entire season:
2020-2021 Jakob Poeltl
.569 Points Created Per Minute
15.203 Points Created Per Game
Using this current season, after last night, Jakob is now at:
.735 Points Created Per Minute
24.100 Points Created Per Game
That's a huge jump to go up .150+ points in Points Created Per Minute Statistics and 8.9+ points in Points Created Per Game Statistics as well.
As you can tell, he's upped his output in these opening 5 games.
Keep an eye out for Big Jak, The Austrian Alp. He's now playing like he used to be the Pac-12 Player of the year.
We've added some video highlights from the Spurs and a PTR story on Jakob. The links are on our show notes, at themibtwib.blogspot.com
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oR1sGXXC9eo
https://www.poundingtherock.com/2021/10/27/22745702/jakob-poeltl-is-at-the-center-of-the-spurs-half-court-show?
Through 5 games, In case you missed it, it is easy to notice that the Spurs are playing a competitive brand of basketball. Going into the season, there were 2 media entities (USA Today's Charles Curtis & ESPN's Zach Lowe) who had the Spurs lowly-ranked on their WATCHABILITY lists. Curtis actually had the Spurs ranked dead last in "watchability".
That's a huge jump to go up .150+ points in Points Created Per Minute Statistics and 8.9+ points in Points Created Per Game Statistics as well.
As you can tell, he's upped his output in these opening 5 games.
Keep an eye out for Big Jak, The Austrian Alp. He's now playing like he used to be the Pac-12 Player of the year.
We've added some video highlights from the Spurs and a PTR story on Jakob. The links are on our show notes, at themibtwib.blogspot.com
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oR1sGXXC9eo
https://www.poundingtherock.com/2021/10/27/22745702/jakob-poeltl-is-at-the-center-of-the-spurs-half-court-show?
Through 5 games, In case you missed it, it is easy to notice that the Spurs are playing a competitive brand of basketball. Going into the season, there were 2 media entities (USA Today's Charles Curtis & ESPN's Zach Lowe) who had the Spurs lowly-ranked on their WATCHABILITY lists. Curtis actually had the Spurs ranked dead last in "watchability".
https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2021/10/18/spurs-named-as-least-watchable-team-in-nba-by-usa-today/
The Spurs never care about things like Q Ratings or even Nielsen Media Ratings. All PATFO cares about is that the team is getting better by learning about each other, building chemistry, and giving effort on the court. They always think optimistically that by doing all of those things with the right type of intensity and focus, they just might coalesce into a playoff contender. That's the way it has always been for a Pop-led Spurs team every game of every season.
In these past 5 games, what we have seen is a team that is going to defend you like crazy and run whenever they get a chance. We should not see the ball stick too long to one player and they will attempt to shoot more 3s per game than we have ever seen from any Spurs team in Basketball history.
In case you missed it, here is how they have done in those 5 games. They won their home opener against the Magic(A 25 point blowout win) and lost 4 close games to the Nuggets(A 6 point road loss), the Bucks(A 10 point home loss), the Lakers(A 4 point home OT loss), and to the Mavericks(A 5 point road loss). Check out and read the Points Created Breakdowns of each game for more insight.
The Spurs next 3 Games are Saturday at the Bucks, Monday at the Pacers, and Wednesday at home against the Mavericks. Starting Small Forward Doug McDermott missed the Mavs loss on Thursday and will miss at least the next 2 games due to knee soreness so it will be interesting to see how the team fares without his shooting.
On this Week 1 Points Created Update, I have added the Total Stats and the Splits through these 5 Games. I have also included the PER Ratings from John Hollinger. PER stands for Player Efficiency Ratings. PER is similar to Points Created which is what is primarily referenced here. PER also provides a gauge on how well NBA players are performing. For the purposes of the blog and podcast, the added benefit is that it also works as a comparison tool to show that when Points Created is run and the scores seem somewhat high or low, PER can be used to let us know if the scores are somewhat in a general agreement.
After 1 week and 5 games, here is where the players rank in weekly Points Created Per Game Ranking.
17-Devontae Cacok is on a 2-Way contract playing for the Austin Spurs.
And that's the entire team's Points Created and PER Scores
About Josh Primo, Tre Jones, and Bryn Forbes/Jock Landale, and Drew Eubanks:
Josh Primo's scores are off the chart because he hasn't missed a shot, or committed a foul or turnover, and scored more points than minutes played. And now we have Spurs fans saying that Primo and Tre Jones should play more than Bryn Forbes. Primo just got the assignment to Austin so he will spend some time there honing his skills and experience like Derrick, Dejounte, and Lonnie did when they were rookies. Bryn Forbes has abysmal scores but we can surmise that Pop gives him more minutes because he has a longer sample size with PATFO and once everyone starts getting more familiar with each other's tendencies, preferences, and habits, then things will regress to the mean. Not too high, not too low, but closer to where one expects. The same logic applies to Drew Eubanks and Jock Landale. I think because Jock has already played several seasons of professional basketball he will continue his progression as a Spur in San Antonio instead of spending time playing in Austin.
In a nutshell, the water will level. Forbes will improve, Jones will improve, and Primo will make mistakes while getting time on the court. Eubanks is playing good and Landale will make mistakes while getting time on the court. Thaddeus Young is a long-time professional and one may think that he will be able to handle the plays and coverages that Pop needs, but even he looks a bit lost in Pop's system. It is complex in its entirety but Pop and the coaching staff do a great job of breaking it down into simple steps. The roles are defined so that way, the players should not be too overwhelmed if they listen to what coaching is telling them. I do agree that if the game result is in hand, a blowout win or loss, then young guys should get as much practical experience as they can against other teams to help build confidence in a competitive environment.
It used to always be that way. I have often pointed out that during the height of the Big 3, the luxury of having such a strong core 8 was their ability to put away the opponents early and then having the bench finish the games and gain that experience. Those of us old enough to remember can easily picture the Big 3 with Ice bags taped to their knees to lessen inflammation while there were 5 minutes left in the 4th Quarter. Since this team isn't that experienced, then Pop has to pick and choose development or go for the win. The days of doing both in the same game are not in the cards this season. So Spurs fans...you have to go with one or the other.
On this Week 1 Points Created Update, I have added the Total Stats and the Splits through these 5 Games. I have also included the PER Ratings from John Hollinger. PER stands for Player Efficiency Ratings. PER is similar to Points Created which is what is primarily referenced here. PER also provides a gauge on how well NBA players are performing. For the purposes of the blog and podcast, the added benefit is that it also works as a comparison tool to show that when Points Created is run and the scores seem somewhat high or low, PER can be used to let us know if the scores are somewhat in a general agreement.
After 1 week and 5 games, here is where the players rank in weekly Points Created Per Game Ranking.
Points Created - Points Created Per Minute and Points Created Per Game - PER
10-Bryn Forbes .093 PC per min1.000 PC per game
PER 1.50
Bryn is perplexing. He knows the system. He knows his defined role. He has open looks. Lots of them. And prior to the Mavs game, the ball was simply not going in. Now that he's made multiple 3s, perhaps he can make that move back to a reliable shooter. Between him and Doug, that is not happening currently. Imagine how the Spurs record would look if these 2 guys made a few 3s in any of the close losses.
11-Thaddeus Young -0.083 PC per min-0.500 PC per game
PER -4.96
13-Josh Primo 1.000 PC per min
3.000 PC per game
PER 45.37
Josh. We talked about it before. His time to play in San Antonio is not now. GM Brian Wright said that Josh's time is not one that they need to rush. So he is now in the G-League Training Camp for the Austin Spurs. All of these metrics for Primo are wholly unrealistic, the math is correct, however, when you have only played 3 minutes and scored 5 points without missing a shot plus zero turnovers and fouls, that results in such a big number.
14-Jock Landale .200 PC per min
0.500 PC per game
PER 9.93
An International big with skill. What he lacks is NBA Experience. It is up to Pop to find him some time. With no McDermott for the next 3 games, this may be a good time to see what Jock can do with some minutes on the court.
15-Zach Collins No Points Created Scores - Out until late December or longer, depending upon his foot rehab.
16-Joe Weiskamp is on a 2-Way contract playing for the Austin Spurs.
1 -Jakob Poeltl .735 PC per min
24.100 PC per game
PER 26.49
If Jakob can stay above .650 that's better than expected by far. I have already pointed out some growth in his game.
2-Dejounte Murray .639 PC per min
22.500 PC per game
24.100 PC per game
PER 26.49
If Jakob can stay above .650 that's better than expected by far. I have already pointed out some growth in his game.
2-Dejounte Murray .639 PC per min
22.500 PC per game
PER 19.67
He's the team leader and his tenacious defending and rebounding from the Point Guard spot are eye-opening. He's a .600+ player and capable of more when conditions are right. Perhaps he is shooting far too many 3s but other than that, he's playing exactly the way that Pop needs him to lead. If he and Derrick are stopping other backcourts and Lonnie and Devin are outperforming other teams' bench players, that makes the game so much easier for the Spurs.
3-Derrick White .451 PC per min
14.700 PC per game
14.700 PC per game
PER 16.61
Since Derrick has been with the team so long, you expect that he would give an expected level of performance. He does that defensively and with hustle stats, especially on taking charges. But as a secondary ball-handler, he needs to improve his decision-making. He needs to realize when the advantage is better suited for him or his teammates. I saw some opportunities for passes out to guys waiting ready at the 3 point line but where looked off. If Derrick uses them, that makes him far less predictable.
Since Derrick has been with the team so long, you expect that he would give an expected level of performance. He does that defensively and with hustle stats, especially on taking charges. But as a secondary ball-handler, he needs to improve his decision-making. He needs to realize when the advantage is better suited for him or his teammates. I saw some opportunities for passes out to guys waiting ready at the 3 point line but where looked off. If Derrick uses them, that makes him far less predictable.
4-Lonnie Walker IV .519 PC per min
13.400 PC per game
PER 19.46
If Lonnie adds more FT trips to his game, he can get to .600+ but this is where he needs to be for him to excel at the 6th Man role.
13.400 PC per game
PER 19.46
If Lonnie adds more FT trips to his game, he can get to .600+ but this is where he needs to be for him to excel at the 6th Man role.
5-Keldon Johnson .399 PC per min
11.400 PC per game
PER 15.66
Keldon Yes, Golden Big Body, he has a tough assignment defensively. He goes into battle knowing that the players he covers will most likely be either taller, longer, or heavier than him. At 6-6 w/ a 6-9 Wingspan 220 lbs he's wiry strong and his intensity level augments his efforts. The matchup and defensive scheme affect his hustle stats some but he will get shots for sure. Pop and his video coordinators have lots of films of Charles Barkley. They have assigned his highlight tapes before to past Spurs players like Malik Rose, DeJuan Blair, and even Kawhi Leonard. It would be good to provide that to Keldon Johnson as well.
11.400 PC per game
PER 15.66
Keldon Yes, Golden Big Body, he has a tough assignment defensively. He goes into battle knowing that the players he covers will most likely be either taller, longer, or heavier than him. At 6-6 w/ a 6-9 Wingspan 220 lbs he's wiry strong and his intensity level augments his efforts. The matchup and defensive scheme affect his hustle stats some but he will get shots for sure. Pop and his video coordinators have lots of films of Charles Barkley. They have assigned his highlight tapes before to past Spurs players like Malik Rose, DeJuan Blair, and even Kawhi Leonard. It would be good to provide that to Keldon Johnson as well.
6- Devin Vassell .425 PC per min
10.800 PC per game
PER 15.63
The 7th Man, Devin is a bonafide 3 & D player. Since his game is 3 point shot dependent offensively, it is good that he provides hustle stats. If he could get to .550+ with him and Lonnie off the bench, the Spurs have arguably one of the best, first 2 players off-the-bench combinations in the NBA.
10.800 PC per game
PER 15.63
The 7th Man, Devin is a bonafide 3 & D player. Since his game is 3 point shot dependent offensively, it is good that he provides hustle stats. If he could get to .550+ with him and Lonnie off the bench, the Spurs have arguably one of the best, first 2 players off-the-bench combinations in the NBA.
7-Doug McDermott .354 PC per min
9.125 PC per game
PER 14.14
When he is making multiple 3s, his impact for the Spurs is pronounced. When he is not? Then, as I have noted in the after-game Points Created breakdowns, he is floating and not really involved. His lack of hustle stats is pretty apparent. I think he needs to figure out how to stay involved even when his shots are not falling. He gets too many minutes to not add impact. The PC per game score is low and that .354 per minute? Man!
It has been revealed that Doug has a sore knee before the Mavs game and will be out for at least the next 2 games. Heal well, heal fast.9.125 PC per game
PER 14.14
When he is making multiple 3s, his impact for the Spurs is pronounced. When he is not? Then, as I have noted in the after-game Points Created breakdowns, he is floating and not really involved. His lack of hustle stats is pretty apparent. I think he needs to figure out how to stay involved even when his shots are not falling. He gets too many minutes to not add impact. The PC per game score is low and that .354 per minute? Man!
8- Drew Eubanks .603 PC per min
7.600 PC per min
PER 16.67
Just a capable backup center. Spurs Twitter has shown a lot of disdain for Drew's effort. As a backup player, he is outperforming McDermott, Bates-Diop, Young, and Forbes, Drew at a minimum deal is punching above his weight class and because he does that, Jakob gets adequate rest. You cannot play Drew and Jakob together all that much since neither has developed a 15-foot jumper but the hooks, putbacks, and driving dunk or layups are more than adequate.
7.600 PC per min
PER 16.67
Just a capable backup center. Spurs Twitter has shown a lot of disdain for Drew's effort. As a backup player, he is outperforming McDermott, Bates-Diop, Young, and Forbes, Drew at a minimum deal is punching above his weight class and because he does that, Jakob gets adequate rest. You cannot play Drew and Jakob together all that much since neither has developed a 15-foot jumper but the hooks, putbacks, and driving dunk or layups are more than adequate.
9- Keita Bates-Diop .268 PC per min
3.750 PC per game
PER 7.38
Keita is spending time on the court. He's defending decently and plays a strict 3 and D role. Because of the matchups, Keita saw his most time against the Lakers. His length was disruptive so that's a plus against teams with scoring forwards. He knows his role, he just needs to pick up hustle stats and even if his PC per minute score doesn't go up, if one ran the numbers against the player he defends, there is a decent chance that the opposing player is playing below his normal PC per Min output. That's an indicator of good defense.
3.750 PC per game
PER 7.38
Keita is spending time on the court. He's defending decently and plays a strict 3 and D role. Because of the matchups, Keita saw his most time against the Lakers. His length was disruptive so that's a plus against teams with scoring forwards. He knows his role, he just needs to pick up hustle stats and even if his PC per minute score doesn't go up, if one ran the numbers against the player he defends, there is a decent chance that the opposing player is playing below his normal PC per Min output. That's an indicator of good defense.
10-Bryn Forbes .093 PC per min
PER 1.50
Bryn is perplexing. He knows the system. He knows his defined role. He has open looks. Lots of them. And prior to the Mavs game, the ball was simply not going in. Now that he's made multiple 3s, perhaps he can make that move back to a reliable shooter. Between him and Doug, that is not happening currently. Imagine how the Spurs record would look if these 2 guys made a few 3s in any of the close losses.
11-Thaddeus Young -0.083 PC per min
PER -4.96
Thaddeus! He looks a bit lost. Pop knows how to simplify the game for veterans that come to the team. It will take some time getting used to it and with all the new pieces and young players, it makes it harder. However, he has the right type of skills and they should fit the Spurs system. If given more games, let us hope that he will start to look comfortable.
These player are Outliers due to really limited minutes(less than 5 minutes Per Game so far, this season)
12-Tre Jones .357 PC per min
1.875 PC per game
PER 10.89
Tre could get a little more time. When he has played, he's been just a little better than Bryn, but they don't really have the same role. Pop will have to find time for him on this deep roster.
1.875 PC per game
PER 10.89
Tre could get a little more time. When he has played, he's been just a little better than Bryn, but they don't really have the same role. Pop will have to find time for him on this deep roster.
13-Josh Primo 1.000 PC per min
3.000 PC per game
PER 45.37
Josh. We talked about it before. His time to play in San Antonio is not now. GM Brian Wright said that Josh's time is not one that they need to rush. So he is now in the G-League Training Camp for the Austin Spurs. All of these metrics for Primo are wholly unrealistic, the math is correct, however, when you have only played 3 minutes and scored 5 points without missing a shot plus zero turnovers and fouls, that results in such a big number.
14-Jock Landale .200 PC per min
0.500 PC per game
PER 9.93
An International big with skill. What he lacks is NBA Experience. It is up to Pop to find him some time. With no McDermott for the next 3 games, this may be a good time to see what Jock can do with some minutes on the court.
15-Zach Collins No Points Created Scores - Out until late December or longer, depending upon his foot rehab.
16-Joe Weiskamp is on a 2-Way contract playing for the Austin Spurs.
17-Devontae Cacok is on a 2-Way contract playing for the Austin Spurs.
And that's the entire team's Points Created and PER Scores
About Josh Primo, Tre Jones, and Bryn Forbes/Jock Landale, and Drew Eubanks:
Josh Primo's scores are off the chart because he hasn't missed a shot, or committed a foul or turnover, and scored more points than minutes played. And now we have Spurs fans saying that Primo and Tre Jones should play more than Bryn Forbes. Primo just got the assignment to Austin so he will spend some time there honing his skills and experience like Derrick, Dejounte, and Lonnie did when they were rookies. Bryn Forbes has abysmal scores but we can surmise that Pop gives him more minutes because he has a longer sample size with PATFO and once everyone starts getting more familiar with each other's tendencies, preferences, and habits, then things will regress to the mean. Not too high, not too low, but closer to where one expects. The same logic applies to Drew Eubanks and Jock Landale. I think because Jock has already played several seasons of professional basketball he will continue his progression as a Spur in San Antonio instead of spending time playing in Austin.
In a nutshell, the water will level. Forbes will improve, Jones will improve, and Primo will make mistakes while getting time on the court. Eubanks is playing good and Landale will make mistakes while getting time on the court. Thaddeus Young is a long-time professional and one may think that he will be able to handle the plays and coverages that Pop needs, but even he looks a bit lost in Pop's system. It is complex in its entirety but Pop and the coaching staff do a great job of breaking it down into simple steps. The roles are defined so that way, the players should not be too overwhelmed if they listen to what coaching is telling them. I do agree that if the game result is in hand, a blowout win or loss, then young guys should get as much practical experience as they can against other teams to help build confidence in a competitive environment.
It used to always be that way. I have often pointed out that during the height of the Big 3, the luxury of having such a strong core 8 was their ability to put away the opponents early and then having the bench finish the games and gain that experience. Those of us old enough to remember can easily picture the Big 3 with Ice bags taped to their knees to lessen inflammation while there were 5 minutes left in the 4th Quarter. Since this team isn't that experienced, then Pop has to pick and choose development or go for the win. The days of doing both in the same game are not in the cards this season. So Spurs fans...you have to go with one or the other.
After every game this season, on all the social media links (Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter) this blog has and will continue to provide Points Created Totals for every game. I hope you fans take the time to learn about Points Created so you can gain more perspective than the old EYE TEST which does not do a good job of quantifying anything. Points Created gives a set of numbers like a batting average and a game score so that way, one can rank players from the Spurs or from different teams and see what type of efficiency they are currently at, or for the game they just played, or for a specific set of games. As long as one is willing to use the spreadsheet, then they can easily tabulate the data to come up with Points Created. All of that information as well as our Points Created breakdowns could be found on our blog.
themibtwib.blogspot.com
themibtwib.blogspot.com
I have also added a Game By Game Google Sheets of Points Created Per Minute and Per Game Scores. It is just raw data but you can get a link to that spreadsheet and view it so you can get a quick glance at their scores for any of the games this season.
And that's it. Yes, Jakob is playing the best out of any Spur but Dejounte is right behind. Can we get a 3rd and 4th player up to their level? Let's hope so.
At the bottom of this blog, you will see the Rating scale to decode the scores. It's an easy format. Once you fans learn the scale, then I can simplify my script to just PC per Min and PC per Game and PER and that's it. So I hope you fans get the gist of it. Thanks!
At the bottom of this blog, you will see the Rating scale to decode the scores. It's an easy format. Once you fans learn the scale, then I can simplify my script to just PC per Min and PC per Game and PER and that's it. So I hope you fans get the gist of it. Thanks!
Rating Scale for PC Effectiveness or Productivity per Minute (This scale was set prior to the 2003 Season - The greatest change involves the changing of the shot clock on Offensive Rebounds. It used to reset to a full 24, but as of the 2018-2019 Season, the shot clock on Offensive Rebounds resets to 14 seconds only. This results in a faster pace with more possessions. More possessions will mean an uptick in statistics)
Above .650 - Superstar category. Normally, only the top players consistently reach this level of performance for an ENTIRE SEASON.
.550-.649 -All-Stars are in this range, or either just below or above it.
.450-.549 - Good players who are sometimes outstanding fall into this category.
.350-.449 -Regulars. Solid players who are either starters or among a team's first seven or eight regulars.
.250-.349 -Poor. Players here are mostly rookies or vets whose skills are declining. They could be single skill specialists like 3 Point Shooters or could be solid at position defense. That EFFORT does not show up on a box score.
Below .249 - Awful. Players in this category are living life on the edge. Most are soon traded or released or sent to the G-League.
Rating Scale for PC per Game Average
Typically, anyone who scores above 10 plays a lot of minutes and contributes meaningful stats for the team.
Frontline Players provide at least a score of 18.
All-Star level Players provide at least a score of 25.
Superstar level Players provide at least a score of 30.
Superstar level Players provide at least a score of 30.
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