For this blog post, I will be doing my dream team however there is a twist. I can’t choose the best players, I have to be smart with cheap players! Here is my current dream team that is based on moneyball.
What is Moneyball?
The purpose of moneyball is to win games using players that are very good at one stat. An example is 3-point percentage. If someone is really good at 3-point percentage and is cheap, why not choose him?
What Do You Want in a Team?
The first position is point guard. In a point guard, I want a really good playmaker. We see players such as Ricky Rubio and Rajon Rondo. These players may not be that good at scoring, but are great at distributing the rock.
Next you have the shooting guard position. In a shooting guard, you really need sharpshooting. Today in the NBA, we are seeing the Warriors dominate competition. We are seeing Klay Thompson and Steph Curry shooting lights out. We also see other players in the NBA like Jason Terry, J.J. Redick, Joe Ingles, and Kyle Korver with percentages over .400%. In order to succeed, you need one of these players in the NBA.
At Small Forward I need someone to shut down stars of the NBA. Some lockdown defenders include Tony Allen, Kawhi Leonard, and Robert Covington. We have seen in the playoffs Kawhi Leonard shutting down Kevin Durant. If we get a cheaper player to do what Kawhi does, we can shut down stars of the NBA. Lebron James will not be getting a triple double against my team!
The power forward and center position have to have a balance. We need a scorer, a rebounder, and a defender. I also want the 2 players to have very high player efficiency ratings. To have this balance, the best option is to have a floor spreader at power forward and your defense/rebounding at center. So that will be it for the question of what I want in a team, lets get into the players I chose.
PG: Ish Smith
Ish Smith is one of my favorite NBA players, because he is able to pass the rock to his teammates. Let’s look at his stats. For a back up role with the Pistons last year, he played 81 games, scoring 9.4 points and also getting 5.2 assists a game. Pretty good for playing under 25 minutes, however you can look even further. Look at when he was starting, for now we will look at the 2015-16 season. He started 50/50 games for the Pistons, which was right after being acquired from the New Orleans Pelicans via trade. In about 32 minutes, he averaged 14.7 points and 7 assists, also adding 4.3 rebounds. You can also add 1.9 steals to that. If he was played as a starting point guard on a team better then the Pistons, he could be averaging a double double, even averaging possibly 12 assists per game. That would probably be in best case scenario, if he was playing with 2 stars on the court. Even if he averaged 10 assists per game, that would be incredible. With this team, I believe he can do just that.
SG: Seth Curry
No, this isn’t because he is the brother of Stephen Curry. Statistically, Seth Curry might actually be better then his brother. Seth Curry shoots .425%, 8th in the league. In terms of players that have attempted 300+ 3 point shots, he is 5th in the league. Let’s look at Stephen Curry. He shot .411% from the 3-point line, but did shoot 789 3’s in the season. You may say that Stephen Curry shoots more 3’s, meaning that with the amount he takes he is bound to miss a lot. But what if both of them shot 800 3’s in one season? Seth Curry would make 340 3’s in the season, while Stephen Curry would only make 328 3’s. Yes, Seth Curry would indeed make more 3’s then his all-star brother. So in my team, I take Seth Curry, and I would love to have him on my money ball team.
SF: Luc Mbah a Moute
I could of gone with Andre Roberson, but even he would of been more expensive then a player I want on my team. So, I went with an alternative, a 30 year old Mbah a Moute. For the Clippers, Luc Mbah a Moute is 23rd in the league for the category, defensive real plus minus. It is crazy to think that per 100 possesions with the Clippers, he allows 7 less points while on the court. With out him, they actually concede 7 more points! Did you know Doc Rivers actually stated to the press that Mbah a Moute was the best defensive player in the NBA? He actually came out to the press stating, “There’s nobody in the league that’s a better defensive player than Luc.” So yes, I am willing to take a not so good offensive player for one of the best defensive players.
PF: Channing Frye
We are going over to the Cavaliers to pick up a stretch 4. No it is not Kevin Love but we are taken the 3rd string Cavaliers power forward, Channing Frye. Channing Frye is not as hard as you thing to receive in a trade, he is an older player who doesn’t play a lot of minutes for Cleveland. Therefore, in my team, picking him up is not a problem at all. Let’s look at some stats of Frye. He is number 1 in the league for 3-point shooting percentages among power forwards. He shoots an outstanding .409% from beyond the 3-point line. Not only that, but he also has a player efficiency rating of 15.72. An outstanding player for our team, and one we really can add to the team along side fellow 3-point shooter Seth Curry, defensive specialist Luc Mbah a Moute, and pass first point guard Ish Smith.
C: John Henson
John Henson is a power forward for the Bucks, however for this team, he plays the center position. For the Bucks, in 19.4 minutes he averaged 6.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game. In 100 possessions he averages 17.7 points, 13.3 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 3.5 blocks per game. He also has a 15.65 player efficiency rating, which is great for a center on my team. He really has a good balance, however he exceeds in rebounds and his defense, which is what I want in my center. We have a great stretch 4 in Channing Frye, however we need a defensive star. John Henson can do that job for us, and that is why he rounds out this team.
That is it for today’s blog post. Thank you for reading today’s blog and make sure to follow my blog for more interesting ideas on the sports world. Have an amazing day!
Picture of Ish Smith – Wikipedia Commons
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