His head.

Which?

Posted here since this thread had some Deandre Jordan talk...

http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/books/2016/12/how_daryl_morey_used_behavioral_economics_to_revolutionize_the_art_of_nba.html

Quote:

---

That same year, the model had dismissed as unworthy of serious consideration a freshman center at Texas A&M named DeAndre Jordan. Never mind that every other team in the NBA, using more conventional scouting tools, passed him over at least once, or that Jordan wasn't taken until 35th pick of the draft, by the Los Angeles Clippers. As quickly as Joey Dorsey established himself as a bust, DeAndre Jordan established himself as a dominant NBA center and the second-best player in the entire draft class after Russell Westbrook.

---

Quote:

---

Morey could see, or thought he could see, how the model had been fooled by Joey Dorsey. Its blindness to the value of DeAndre Jordan was far more troubling. The kid had played a single year of college basketball, not very effectively. It turned out that he had been a sensational high school player, had hated his college coach, and didn't even want to be in school. How could any model predict the future of a player who had intentionally failed? It was impossible to see Jordan's future in his college stats, and, at the time, there were no useful high school basketball statistics. So long as it relied almost exclusively on performance statistics, the model would always miss DeAndre Jordan.

---

JJxvi said:

---

Posted here since this thread had some Deandre Jordan talk...

http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/books/2016/12/how_daryl_morey_used_behavioral_economics_to_revolutionize_the_art_of_nba.html

Quote:

---

That same year, the model had dismissed as unworthy of serious consideration a freshman center at Texas A&M named DeAndre Jordan. Never mind that every other team in the NBA, using more conventional scouting tools, passed him over at least once, or that Jordan wasn't taken until 35th pick of the draft, by the Los Angeles Clippers. As quickly as Joey Dorsey established himself as a bust, DeAndre Jordan established himself as a dominant NBA center and the second-best player in the entire draft class after Russell Westbrook.

---

Quote:

---

Morey could see, or thought he could see, how the model had been fooled by Joey Dorsey. Its blindness to the value of DeAndre Jordan was far more troubling. The kid had played a single year of college basketball, not very effectively. It turned out that he had been a sensational high school player, had hated his college coach, and didn't even want to be in school. How could any model predict the future of a player who had intentionally failed? It was impossible to see Jordan's future in his college stats, and, at the time, there were no useful high school basketball statistics. So long as it relied almost exclusively on performance statistics, the model would always miss DeAndre Jordan.

---

---

Neither DeAndre nor Turgeon made explicit any disagreement. They seemed emotionally cool to each other and that led us to infer there was a problem (that and minutes on the floor, stats later in the season and so forth.)

DJ probably got a huge dose of reality when Oyedi passed. And Turgeon clearly emoted out loud at length on Tobi which led me to believe it really got to him personally and professionally.

I read more into the situation then then I do now. Perhaps I've "matured" in the past few years the way DJ is being credited as well...

This is the other thread that I found myself reflecting on through the year. From this discussion, to rejoicing that he shockingly elected to come back a 2nd year.

If nothing else, Kennedy recognizes special talent when he sees it.

GE said:

---

Billy Kennedy quote.

I tend to agree with him and extremely excited to see what he can do. Probably won't be a four year player but hopefully we get at least a couple great seasons out of him.

This kid is pretty much what everyone had hoped Deandre would be but he can shoot a bit too.

---

I've been wrong about pretty much everything this year in terms of results but this was spot on.

bobinator said:

---

Why don't we let the guy play a bit before we decide he's better than DeAndre was.

The mists of time have made DeAndre worse than he really was. Dude averaged 7.9 pts and 6 boards on a team that had a senior Joe Jones and sophomore Bryan Davis on it while playing for a first year coach that seemed to struggle piecing together his personnel for a lot of that season.

---

Williams is LIGHT YEARS ahead of where DeAndre was after 1 year. No "mists of time" can change the facts. It is crystal clear that Williams is a FAR better player for A&M than was DeAndre. It's not even close.

Williams
FG - 56%
FT - 59%
Reb/G - 8.2
Asst/G - 1.2
Blk/G - 2.5
Stl/G - .7
Pts/G - 11.9
Min/G - 25.8

Jordan
FG - 61%
FT - 43.7%
Reb/G - 6
Asst/G - .4
Blk/G - 1.3
Stl/G - .2
Pts/G - 7.9
Min/G - 20.1

bobinator said:

---

Anyway, can't wait for someone to bump this thread in march when Williams averages 13 & 8 and say that I was saying Williams wasn't going to be any good.

---

Also this might be my favorite username/post match of all time

Morey was a stupid pud for taking Dorsey over DeAndre.

bobinator said:

---

bobinator said:

---

Anyway, can't wait for someone to bump this thread in march when Williams averages 13 & 8 and say that I was saying Williams wasn't going to be any good.

---

---

Never said that......and I didn't look at the date of the post.

Williams COULD be the best to ever play at A&M. He's proven far better than Jordan.

Yeah, I mean obviously. I also just needed a reason to point out how close my stats were to reality.

RW will be very interesting to watch next year.

Yell Practice said:

---

RW will be very interesting to watch next year.

---

The two players that are going to benefit the most from having a true PG are Gilder and Williams. Having a PG that can penetrate and pull help defenders will mean lots of dunks for Williams next year.

still cant believe DeAndre averaged less than 1.5 blks a game here with his athleticism

MarcAg said:

---

Yell Practice said:

---

RW will be very interesting to watch next year.

---

The two players that are going to benefit the most from having a true PG are Gilder and Williams. Having a PG that can penetrate and pull help defenders will mean lots of dunks for Williams next year.

---

IMO, optimally Gilder will be able to primarily focus on being a '3 and D' guy...lock up their best perimeter player and make catch and shoot threes.

MarcAg said:

---

Yell Practice said:

---

RW will be very interesting to watch next year.

---

The two players that are going to benefit the most from having a true PG are Gilder and Williams. Having a PG that can penetrate and pull help defenders will mean lots of dunks for Williams next year.

---

Caldwell will have to be able to finish against D-1 talent and/or hit his outside shot. He'll have to make entry passes at 5 ft 11 in. Swallows Caldwell to through passes with arc. I actually would still run a combo guard system, because opponents will slough off if JJ only hits 30%FG.

The guy I want to see take it to the rack is Flagg and not JJ.

jml2621 said:

---

MarcAg said:

---

Yell Practice said:

---

RW will be very interesting to watch next year.

---

The two players that are going to benefit the most from having a true PG are Gilder and Williams. Having a PG that can penetrate and pull help defenders will mean lots of dunks for Williams next year.

---

Caldwell will have to be able to finish against D-1 talent and/or hit his outside shot. He'll have to make entry passes at 5 ft 11 in. Swallows Caldwell to through passes with arc. I actually would still run a combo guard system, because opponents will slough off if JJ only hits 30%FG.

The guy I want to see take it to the rack is Flagg and not JJ.

---

Dash Harris, bless his heart, couldn't shoot or dribble and we still managed a 7 seed with him at PG. If we get 30% from Caldwell, we're in good shape.

Pumpkinhead said:

---

MarcAg said:

---

Yell Practice said:

---

RW will be very interesting to watch next year.

---

The two players that are going to benefit the most from having a true PG are Gilder and Williams. Having a PG that can penetrate and pull help defenders will mean lots of dunks for Williams next year.

---

IMO, optimally Gilder will be able to primarily focus on being a '3 and D' guy...lock up their best perimeter player and make catch and shoot threes.

---

I think Gilder is going to be in the Caruso role actually where he does it all.

jml2621 said:

---

MarcAg said:

---

Yell Practice said:

---

RW will be very interesting to watch next year.

---

The two players that are going to benefit the most from having a true PG are Gilder and Williams. Having a PG that can penetrate and pull help defenders will mean lots of dunks for Williams next year.

---

Caldwell will have to be able to finish against D-1 talent and/or hit his outside shot. He'll have to make entry passes at 5 ft 11 in. Swallows Caldwell to through passes with arc. I actually would still run a combo guard system, because opponents will slough off if JJ only hits 30%FG.

The guy I want to see take it to the rack is Flagg and not JJ.

---

I agree with this unless he has a good floater that we don't know about. It was downright painful sometimes watching Hampton drive the ball in knowing exactly what was going to happen when he entered the paint.

MarcAg said:

---

Yell Practice said:

---

RW will be very interesting to watch next year.

---

The two players that are going to benefit the most from having a true PG are Gilder and Williams. Having a PG that can penetrate and pull help defenders will mean lots of dunks for Williams next year.

---

You're probably right if you're just talking about a pg distributing the ball, but the guy that will benefit most from us actually having some sort of cohesive backcourt is Davis. Maybe other teams won't be able to guard him with half their defense if there's a couple more threats on the court.

GE said:

---

jml2621 said:

---

MarcAg said:

---

Yell Practice said:

---

RW will be very interesting to watch next year.

---

The two players that are going to benefit the most from having a true PG are Gilder and Williams. Having a PG that can penetrate and pull help defenders will mean lots of dunks for Williams next year.

---

Caldwell will have to be able to finish against D-1 talent and/or hit his outside shot. He'll have to make entry passes at 5 ft 11 in. Swallows Caldwell to through passes with arc. I actually would still run a combo guard system, because opponents will slough off if JJ only hits 30%FG.

The guy I want to see take it to the rack is Flagg and not JJ.

---

I agree with this unless he has a good floater that we don't know about. It was downright painful sometimes watching Hampton drive the ball in knowing exactly what was going to happen when he entered the paint.

---

The ball heading back in the other direction in a hurry!