Sabin Productivity Rankings, Part IV

This is the 4^th and final installment of a series that examines the potential viability of the controversial Sabin Productivity Metric as a guide for determining player value in PCTI. Commentary and analysis by the author. Although it has limitations, the model suggests how much value a player adds to his team over the course of the tournament. Welcome to Group 1 of the SPM, better known as "Next year’s first-round draft picks."

5) Spotlight - 109 points

Spot and I haven't played much together in PCTI, but I walked away from Cincinnati thinking how easy it was to play with him and much I enjoyed playing with him. Although his own criticism of us playing together is that we may not be as compatible as you might think, I am not sure that I share his hypothesis. Very few players in PCTI have a highly-desirable, low dribble-to-shot ratio, but I would guess that Spot is one of the leaders of this category. I like to think of Higdon as a guy who “stays in his lane”, meaning that he routinely takes good shots, doesn’t force action that isn’t there, doesn’t do things that he can’t do, and knows what he does well. Add to that the fact that he is positive and vocal, and he spreads a lot of good energy to his team throughout the weekend. Shot 47% for the tournament and also 47% from deep, the former being an excellent mark and the latter being otherworldly. 20 assists against just 7 turnovers for the weekend for an AT ratio approaching 3. Led the tournament in EFG of 63%. For those who may not understand this number, that is fucking ridiculous. Also led the tournament with 1.32 points per shot, which is hyper-efficient and makes me think we didn’t get him enough shots in the Natti. Scored double figures in 4 of 6 games, with a 5^th game at 9 points. Made at least one 3 ball in EVERY SINGLE Game. Made at least 2 triples in 5 OF THE 6 GAMES. Honestly, this was just an amazing performance by the guy who I believe has claimed the title of PCTI’s Best Shooter. He has certainly given us all a mark to shoot for in PCTI 8. The only critique I have of this guy is his choice of clothing and style. An old fart like me probably just didn’t understand his spacesuit and related garb. Other than that, incredible work by one of PCTI’s most popular players.

4) BC - 111 points

I’m trying to think of the professional athlete equivalent of “an under-appreciated winner who just does what your team needs but doesn’t get much credit or attention for it.” Is it Dirk Nowitzki? A guy who you don’t think is spectacular in many ways, but you look up and see that he is an MVP, a Finals MVP, a world champion, and is 6^th on the all-time NBA scoring list. The reality is that BC may be PCTI’s version of Dirk Nowitzki, not necessarily in terms of style of game but in terms of being under-appreciated. He just produces time and time again, helps his team win, makes winning plays, yet does it with relatively little fanfare or accolades. In the Natti, BC got down with 11PPG, 5RPG, and 47% from the field. Also shot a sparkling 43% from deep, good for 3^rd in the tournament. Co-led the tourney with 12 aggregate steals/blocks along with Donley. Added 31 rebounds to his tally while shooting an EFG of an ungodly 56%. Scored 1.29 PPS to finish second only to Spotlight above. Again, super, super efficient. Did I mention that he made the game-winning, series-clinching, across-his-body floater to send the Snipers packing? And yet the only thing people wanted to talk about afterwards was Ben’s unwarranted molestation of the nearby trash can! Such is the life of BC, an under-appreciated winner and PCTI star that rarely, if ever, gets celebrated the way that he should. Absolutely owned day 3 with 14PPG on 60% from the field. The Brats DO NOT WIN this tournament without him. Maybe one of these days we will open our eyes and understand how much value this guy delivers to his team. Until then, he may operate in relative anonymity until the rest of us start to get it.

T-2) Wilson - 115 points

Wilson and I have developed a relationship in PCTI based on losing and under-performing our expectations. We spent a fair amount of time together in the first several PCTI seasons battling for the title of PCTI’s Worst Loser. With continued losing came animosity, resentment, scorn, and unfulfilled purpose. Ben has since shed himself of the losing label and has converted himself into something of an uber-captain, winning the past several PCTIs and putting together some championship teams. However, he has left me behind and my losing streak remains intact. Given that, my bitterness is only amplified after Cincinnati and is unfairly and misguidedly directed at Wilson. This will be the case until I win a god-damn championship in PCTI so Big Ben will just have to accept it. I’m not sure anyone can deny that he may be PCTI’s easiest and most diverse scorer. He may be without peer when it comes to the multitude of ways he can score the ball, including triples, layups, free throws, et al. He makes scoring 20 points look relatively routine and simple, juxtaposed against the rest of us scoring 20 points looks like we’ve gone on a Carmelo-like hot streak. He also has a penchant for hitting shots at timely moments, including games 2, 4, and 5. Take a look at game 4…dude goes for 26 and 7 on 9-16 from the field with 6 triples. Most of us will go our entire PCTI careers not scoring 26 in a game. Some of us don’t score 26 points in the entire tournament for god’s sake. Yet, he also has moments and stat lines that are somewhat headscratching, given his prodigious offensive talent. As an example, in game 6, Big Ben shot 2-9 from the field and just 1-7 from deep with no assists and 4 turnovers. Seeing stat lines like this next to one another seem perplexing and are hard to square with his ability. Shot 38% for the weekend, but 36% from 3 is certainly above-average. Added 29 boards to his tally for an average approaching 5. Dimed 13 assists against 12 turnovers and shot a respectable 49% EFG for the weekend. Went for double figures in 4 of 6 games, and added a 5^th at 9 points. Had at least 2 triples in 4 of 6 games. Scored a 45 in the SPM in game 4 and a 0 in game 6. Ceiling and floors, man. He may have PCTI’s absolute highest ceiling in any given PCTI game, including Abe. It’s dealing with the floor that is the hard part with Ben. All that said, it’s impossible to think of this guy slipping out of the second round, with a more likely probability that he’ll be scooped in the 1^st round next year. I also don’t think I’ve ever seen somebody who can spin while moving that fast. He may be the Dwight Freeney of PCTI.

T-2) DK – 115 points

I haven’t done much analysis to confirm this, but I would venture to say that this was DK’s best PCTI by a wide margin. Gone are the days when DK would overpass, hoping to please his teammates versus unleashing his relatively unknown but super-effective jumper. I’ve contended for a long time that he has a great offensive game, but it gets lost amid the conversation about his defensive prowess and an unhealthy obsession with winning the A/T ratio. His day 1 splits are the stuff of legend, with 21 PPG, 4 APG, 3 RPG, and 56% from the field with 11 triples. To give you an idea of how good that is, if he had taken the collar in every category from games 3-6, meaning no points, boards, assists, triples, etc…, he still would have averaged 7 PPG and nearly 2 triples a game. That is more than most of did for the entire tournament. Scored double figures in 3 of 6 games and shot a stupid 57% EFG. Led the tournament with 50% from deep. Let me say that one more time. Led the tournament with 50% from 3 for THE WEEKEND. Went over 5 assists twice for the tournament and averaged 6 RPG on day 3. I honestly don’t know if he is going to win MVP or not. All I can really say is that this guy was the heartbeat of his team. It’s impossible to measure things like competitiveness, determination, intensity, leadership, etc…but you know it when you see it. And you see it when DK plays. That’s why my personal opinion is that this MVP race is not nearly as close as what others might think. That’s no disrespect to anyone else’s opinion, but I just don’t see how the MVP conversation doesn’t start and finish with this guy. And I’m glad he got a haircut…that moppy look was wearing me out.

1) Abe – 143 points

It’s difficult to overstate how important this guy was to our team. Take a look at the PCTI 7 resume for his team:

1^st – PPG with 12.5

1^st – RPG with 9.2

1^st – APG with 3.5

1^st – Defensive Rebounds with 49

2^nd – 43% FG

2^nd – 41% from 3 with 12 makes

2^nd – FT makes with 9

2^nd – 52% EFG

2^nd – 54% True Shooting

2^nd – PPS at 1.19

He scored nearly 30 points higher than any Brats player and 34 points higher than Spot, who played some elite basketball over the weekend. His basketball ability is no secret and a lot of us know that he can simply do things over long stretches that others cannot do, but what I did not realize is what a good dude he is to play with. He is positive, plays hard through fatigue, and ALWAYS gives a crap. If anything, you could make the argument that we let him down by not playing better. He gave a championship effort in a losing cause, but this should not in any way undermine his ability to lead teams to titles. This guy earns every bit of praise he receives and both captains next year should do all in their power to claim the first pick in the next year’s draft. Jerry West won the MVP for the Lakers in a losing cause more than 40 years ago, and I wouldn’t be surprised at all if this happened with Abe. But whether he wins it or not, it’s a rare combination to find a great individual player who is also a great team player who is also a great dude. He checked off all the boxes for me. Not sure what else to say…PCTI GOAT.

 

Sabin