Thoughts From the Cribb

Intro & Inspo With Tuesday’s 97-94 loss to the Heat, the Atlanta Hawks have been eliminated from the playoffs. After averaging 15/6/5 (pts/ast/reb) on 32/18/79 percent shooting, questions arise about the ability to win a title with Trae Young as the lead guy. In a league dominated on the wing, can a point guard really lead a team to a tile? When looking at finals MVPs the last point guard to win it was Tony Parker fifteen years ago in 2007. Even with the history of the position I do not believe Trae Young’s stature is his biggest hindrance from winning playoff games. His biggest hindrance is the heliocentric style of play and usage rate. Definitions & Manalytics Usage rate for a player in the NBA is generally defined as the percentage of possessions that end in that player taking a shot/free throw or turning the ball over. Having one high usage rate player is a staple of Heliocentrism which is an offensive philosophy where the “best player” runs a high pick and roll, or isolati...

With Tuesday’s 115-105 victory against the Atlanta Hawks, the Heat have won eight out of their last nine with the only loss being the rest game against Orlando. Jimmy Butler has been at the center of that run averaging 27/5/4 ( Pts/Reb/Ast ) with 59/46 / 79 splits. The number that jumps out to me is his 46% from three. Th at simply has not been Jimmy’s calling card in Miami where he has shot 24% from three (down from 34% everywhere else). The historical data indicates this hot streak from Butler is a necessity if the Heat want to win the title Historical Data & Trivia Since 2000, there have only been 4 players to lead their team in playoff scoring and win the title while shooting under 35% from three during the regular season and postseason. Take a minute to guess who they are (three should be very easy and one is a tad tricker). The four players are: Tim Duncan (Three times) Shaquille O’Neal (Three Times) Kevin Garnett Giannis Antetokounmpo. What separates Jimmy from these guys…...