Analyzing the 3003 Contenders (501 views)

[20s]

**Not looking for anyone to vote on this yet, I am going to add more and update throughout the year**

Just wanted to get an early season version of the O Rtg / D Rtg chart out and see where we are at.


Takeaways:

• The 76ers are performing slightly better on both offense and defense compared to the title winning squad from last year.
• The Cougars offense has been ridiculous so far and their defense has been 2nd best.  Needed to get this brag in while I still can, schedule will be getting much tougher.
• Don't mess with Maui when he's on a breakaway
• Hawks defense has once again been ridiculous thus far.
• Knicks and Hornets have separated themselves from everyone else at the bottom.

It is way too early to use the chart to actually cut anyone out from Contender status so I am including all teams in the rankings table so everyone can see their team's strengths and weaknesses.


Notes:

• 76ers are top 10 in everything leaguewide except TOPG where they rank 11th.
• The Hawks are truly top 10 leaguewide in every category.
• Cougars rank 1, 2, or 3 in 7 of the 11 categories including 1st in 4 categories (had to get this brag in while I still can)
• The Hawks also rank 1st in 4 categories, tied with the Cougars.  No other team is 1st in more than 1.
• The Sonics are the most surprising team to rank 1st in a category: they lead the league in Opp. TOPG.  Afflalo pick paying off already.

Again, this is way too early to be taking away too much from any of this, but it helps tell a little bit of the story of what has happened so far.  It will also be interesting to see it evolve throughout the season.

I will be adding more of the features I had last year as we get later in the season as well as doing updates throughout the season.

So please don't vote yet.

[skrouse]

[20s]

Updated after Sim 3 (really shows how fluid all this stuff is this early in the season):



Seeing everyone a lot more bunched together in this sim, the Blazers jumped way out in front defensively.



Updated ranks.

[Deleted]

nets in an exclusive club right now

[Soup]

based on your chart and bk telling me i have to sell off now, i'm confused on what I should do...

[Handsome Pete]

*Checks opponent FTrate*

[Trofie]

80k

[20s]

Mar 24, 2021 13:22:21 GMT -5 Handsome Pete said:

*Checks opponent FTrate*

Sorry, just realized the Blazers weren't on that Ranks chart.  Added them and now you're #2.

[Handsome Pete]

Mar 24, 2021 13:48:20 GMT -5 20s said:

Mar 24, 2021 13:22:21 GMT -5 Handsome Pete said:

*Checks opponent FTrate*

Sorry, just realized the Blazers weren't on that Ranks chart.  Added them and now you're #2.

[Deleted]

Mar 24, 2021 13:21:44 GMT -5 Soup said:

based on your chart and bk telling me i have to sell off now, i'm confused on what I should do...

the chart would say you have like the 10th best chance, with even the bobcats ahead of you

i double down on my advice

[Soup]

Mar 24, 2021 16:44:15 GMT -5 @jayz93j said:

Mar 24, 2021 13:21:44 GMT -5 Soup said:

based on your chart and bk telling me i have to sell off now, i'm confused on what I should do...

the chart would say you have like the 10th best chance, with even the bobcats ahead of you

i double down on my advice

Then maybe you shouldn’t have shit yourself in trade negotiations yesterday.

[Deleted]

Mar 24, 2021 16:52:03 GMT -5 Soup said:

Mar 24, 2021 16:44:15 GMT -5 @jayz93j said:

the chart would say you have like the 10th best chance, with even the bobcats ahead of you

i double down on my advice

Then maybe you shouldn’t have shit yourself in trade negotiations yesterday.

hey no skin off my back if you dont do the smart thing and sell

[Soup]

Mar 24, 2021 16:54:05 GMT -5 @jayz93j said:

Mar 24, 2021 16:52:03 GMT -5 Soup said:

Then maybe you shouldn’t have shit yourself in trade negotiations yesterday.

hey no skin off my back if you dont do the smart thing and sell

SHIT YOUR SELF

[20s]

Sim 4 Update:

- Defenses are way behind where they have been previously, lotta offensive improvement happening across TMBSL

[Deleted]

seems like theres only one team that looks like the others

[bankz]

East is going to be a war.

[andrewluck]

Suns looking good this year.

[20s]

Sim 5 Update:

• The top 12 are really starting to separate themselves from the rest of the pack.
• All of those 12 are either better offensively or defensively than a previous champ.
• The Cougars joined the Blazers and Nets as teams with a better defensive rating than a previous champ.

[20s]

• Cougars dropped way down offensively and defensively that sim.
• Grizzlies and Chaps have the worst defenses of any contenders, but their offenses are both top 5.
• Mavs and Bobcats just barely hanging onto contender status at this point.

It's the first cut day!  Trimming our list down from leaguewide to only the 12 teams currently with either a better offense or defense than one of the previous league champions.

Making the cut are these 12 teams:

• Philadelphia 76ers
• Atlanta Hawks
• Brooklyn Nets
• Carolina Cougars
• Indiana Pacers
• Chicago Bulls
• Charlotte Bobcats
• Milwaukee Bucks
• Portland Trail Blazers
• Vancouver Grizzlies
• Texas Chaparrals
• Dallas Mavericks

• 76ers, Blazers, and Cougars rank 1st in 9 of the 11 categories.
• Nets are 2nd, 3rd, or 4th in 7 of the 11 categories, the most top 4 rankings of any team.
• Bobcats are last in 6 of the 11 categories.

Head to Head Records vs Other Contending Teams

• Bucks have the best record vs the other contenders.
• Bobcats unsurprisingly have the worst record vs the other contenders.
• Potentially more surprising is the Cougars and Chaparrals with the next two worst records.
  
  

• Grizzlies are only 3-3 against the East, but 9-1 vs their West peers.
• Pacers are 6-4 vs the East, but 0-5 against the West.
• Chaps are 5-2 vs the East, but a putrid 0-8 against their Western peers.

[TinyTimPig]

[20s]

Here's a quick chart update after Sim 7, will update everything else after Sim 8:

[Handsome Pete]

Best of the Rest baby!

[Deleted]

dropping outside the holy quadrant feels bad man

[Deleted]

also 80k

THIS is what an 80k article looks like guys. let's shape up the voting on the rest of the articles thanks

[Odin]

100k

[20s]

Mar 29, 2021 11:42:32 GMT -5 Handsome Pete said:

Best of the Rest baby!

There's like one East team in the top 9-10 of the "rest"... yikes.

[20s]

Update after Sim 8:

• It's hard to see the Nets and Blazers, but they are hiding behind that atrocity of a Hawks logo.
• Offense is way up across the league, no team this season is better in D Rtg than any of the previous champs.
• 76ers and Cougars still setting the bar offensively, but the 76ers hopped the Cougars in D Rtg.

• Mavs have definitely had some bad luck this year, it's why a team with a .500 record is still included in the 'contenders' group, but they do have some major weaknesses compared to their peers.  Worst in Opp. Pts/Tsa, worst in O Rtg, 2nd worst in D Rtg is not a great recipe.

[IanBoyd]

100k

[TinyTimPig]

Great stuff as always 20s but I'm personally waiting until after Sim 10 (but before sim 11) to cast my vote.

[20s]

Update after Sim 9:



The Mavs O Rtg has now fallen below that of all previous champions and with their defense lagging well behind, they would no longer be considered a 'contender' for the purposes of this article.



The ranks confirm what we were seeing in the first chart, 10th or worse in 7 of the 11 categories including 10th, 12th, 12th, 12th in Pts/Tsa, Opp Pts/Tsa, O Rtg and D Rtg.  If they are outside the shaded area in tomorrow's chart, I will remove them from the rankings.