Late Night Tip - TBT

Gentlemen of PCTI,

Although to some I may seem a little, dare I say... disorganized, there are aspects of my life that I am a little OCD. For instance, I take sips from water fountains in multiples of 3. EVERY TIME. Those 15, 18, and yes 21 sip trips typically result in a heavy breath/cough/throwup afterwards. My gmail inbox is another area that stays meticulously pieced together. Because of this, I have every single PCTI related email, all 335 threads. That's right... threads.

For some random reason I got the urge to look back on number 1 tonight. Just so happens that it's the ever popular Thursday that people have deemed the day to throw back to. After 7 solid years, it's a pretty nostalgic read. For those lifers, it will stir up some damn good memories. For those of you who weren't as fortunate, here is a glimpse into our origin. I give you, the Alpha Document.

Sent March 1, 2010

Fellas,

 

At this point, either myself or someone else has reached out to you guy's about what we are interested in doing.  After 3 year's of torturing me in college with his inability to wake up before noon, show up to a game on time, or simply being the slightest bit reliable, my arch enemy Josh Pitto came to me yesterday with an excellent idea him and Brian Eskgljkhdsfkgjshkfjhdsen thought up. 

 

So most guy's when they start growing into their mature years like to take golf trips with their buddies.  Since golf is an expensive, boring headache I have vowed to never play it again.  Anyway, that has nothing to do with it. 

 

Since we all graduated college I think we can all agree finding a really good game to play in is significantly tougher.  To some, it's non existant.  So here is what we are proposing:

• Basketball trip.  Set in a central location. 
• Everyone arrive Friday night (No work taken off).
• 14 players (All approved by me)
• Draft takes place schoolyard style that Friday night.
• Session Saturday morning, Saturday evening and then final tournament Sunday morning.
• Three games in each session.  2- 15 or 20 minute halves with running clock.
• Referees, scoreboard, stats all will be kept.
• MVP voted on and crowned at the end of the weekend.
• A weekend we can turn into a tradition.

The brightest side to all this is how inexpensive it will be.  Renting a gym, refs and stat keepers will probably cost about $30-40 a person.  With hotel and food we are talking about a $150 weekend to get some great hoops and make us feel like we are high school ballers again.  I know I haven't played in real games with solid players, no arguing, refs, free throws etc. in god knows how long.  I think keeping the stats will be a nice touch.

 

If things go smoothly I think this will be a great tradition.  Maybe put together a website that keeps track of our yearly stats, wins and losses, MVP's, etc.  So far I'm pumped about the feedback I have gotten from everyone.  Sounds like we are all on the same page.

 

Logistically, what do you guy's think about the weekend of June 5th and 6th set in Lexington, KY.  Good basketball city that is centrally located for most everyone I have spoken to, not to mention a good little city that we can have a good time in.  One of the player's included in this has some contacts there that could probably get us in a pretty good gym. 

 

I know Nashville would be the best spot now, but that defeats the purpose of this being a "Hoops trip."  So far, we are looking at a really solid group.

 

Let's use this email chain to discuss specifics including if that weekend works for you guy's (It's plenty of time in advance that it shouldn't be a problem) and what you guy's think. 

 

Quick scouting report on the guy's included on this email chain so that if they send an email you can put a game with the name:

 

• Danny Krow (G/F/C)-Can do it all.  Score from anywhere.  Will rebound and both ends of the floor.  Relentless on D.  Post up game is nearly unstoppable.  Impossible to keep out of the lane.  Sets up teammates nicely and does whatever it takes to win.  Potential number 1 overall pick that will probably bring home the MVP.  Think Eric Snow.
• Brent Carney (F/C)-6'5" and extremely long.  Can step out and shoot mid-long range.  Post up game can only go to the middle.  Defends the block well and times jumps perfectly.  Defensive assasin with his long arms and well timed jumps.  Relentless rebounder on both ends.  Weakness is that he has trouble controlling himself in key situations.  With refs, could definitely hurt his team with technical fouls. 
• Josh Pitto (PG)-Smallish 0 guard that stretches the court and wears out defenses with his range and ability to get into the lane.  Lazy on the ball defender but shoots the gaps well.  Prototypical Golden State Warriors player.  Attitude is a problem.  Can carry his team for a quarter then tear them apart just as quickly.  Whether Pitto has matured over the years remains to be seen, however he can make an impact and can catch fire at any time.
• Brian Eskildsen (PG, F)-Do it all guy.  Great teammate.  Combines excellent vision with a high basketball IQ.  Defends the post well and rebounds with authority.  Good finisher that can handle the ball.  However, a slow release and inability to get a decent rotation on his shot make him a relatively easy cover but you must account for him.  Tough guy to keep off the glass. 
• Bryan McKinney (F)-Ex marksmen who needs this game more then anyone.  A combination of no talent in Denver along with law school makes it tough for this guy to get into the games he once thrived in.  Quick release and mentality makes this guy a threat to catch fire at any time.  Rangy defender and offensive rebounding master that will punish you if you don't box him out.  Wears defenders out by never getting tired, running the floor, and crashing the boards on every play.  The only question is if McKinney still has it after years away from competitive games.
• Joe Thompson (PG)-Oversized PG with fluid hips and good core strength.  One of two ex-college basketball players that will be partaking in this game.  Solid defender that is known for his poke from behind steals.  Will shoot it with range and loves shooting on the run.  Likes to get physical with small PG's.  Hot head that can blow at any time.  How has this ex-Rhodes stars game progressed since graduation?  Will he be a heavy favorite for MVP?
• Josh Stephens (PG)-6'5" that plays like he is 5'5".  Gunslinging mentality.  Good finisher that can step out and knock down from anywhere.  Used to be a liability defensively but his passion on that side is coming along.  Can be a black hole at times but also dominant at times.  One of the few players in this game with actual talent.  The question is can he learn how to play as a team first guy with a few extra years under his belt? Working on his 8th year of college, one wonders whether this guy has matured or if he has just gotten even more immature.  If that's the case, don't expect much of a showing from this guy.  If so, look for a potential MVP candidate.
• Dawson Huff (F)-Ex college swingman that makes a living off a deadly set shot and mid range jumpers.  Can defend any size and has a variety of ways to score in his repatoire.  Rarely misses foul shots but lack of physicality does not put him there much.  Tough to say whether his game and passion have progressed or regressed.  That question will go a long way in finding out what kind of performance we can expect from Huff.
• Ben Wilson (G,F,C)-Extremely oversized and physical point guard with good vision.  Can take you down low and score with either hand.  Streaky shooter that prefers banging rather then playing along the perimeter.  Will work hard defensively and on the glass.  Struggles to handle the ball and can't do anything if Danny Krow is on the court with him. 
• Anthony Hopkins (UTL)-In rythmn shooter that can catch fire at any time.  +/- guy that will never be caught out of position.  Excellent on the ball and help side defender.  Good feel offensively when it comes to cutting or hitting a cutter.  Good teammate.  Loves the game.  Struggles to finish occasionally but overall a good guy to have on your squad.

There it is fellas.  Let's get some dialogue going.  Can we do this???

What had me laughing...
- The godfathers are no longer included. Are we the ultimate basketball mutiny? Yes.
- Dan Dan the Nostradaumus Man predicts his MVP... seven years prior.
- And I quote, "The brightest side is how inexpensive it will be".
- 3 sessions, 3 games per session. 9 total games. IN 2 DAYS! We were so young and naive.
- Poor Nashville, ostracized from the get go.
- BMac's needs have obviously changed
- Ahop "struggles to finish occassionally" only brings back the sight of Danny keeled over with tears of joy after watching what is now the infamous Red Sea Layup.

Miss you guys.

GOLF!!!

In the spirit of ideas, since our Bored crawled under their usual rock during the off season, I would like to propose to the group a round of golf the day before PCTI starts.

I know guys have gotten together in the past and played, but I would like to make it a little more formal this time. We would put some teams together and get a little action going on it. Obviously there are a lot of great courses to choose from.

Since Abe blocked off a quarter of the year, I know we don't have a date yet, but I think it would be fun for those interested to get out a day early and enjoy some good weather. 

Let me know what you all think. 

Smo

Run It Back?!

You all know me: the hilarious, good looking guy that likes to get messed. Just some words that pop in all of your minds when you hear my name: stunning, funny, baller, brill (the cool kids know this one), jokester, comedian, gorgeous, granddad. Those are just some of the more popular ones. Because of this, a lot of people don't know what I'm passionate about being: an ideas guy.

If you know me as long as Abe has, this is no surprise. We were the ones that brought you the New York Times #1 best selling blog: borderlinegeniusideas.com. Of course our ideas were so hard hitting and innovative the government made us take them down #thanksobama. Now that you know that I'm not all looks and laughs, I want you to know that I occasionally get excite about an idea I have. An example was when I thought we should have the National Anthem before game 1 of PCTI this year. That is probably why I played so poorly game 1. Well I recently had a gem of an idea for PCTI8. I presented it to Dan the Dream Killer Man and he immediately did what he does best, shit on it. He does it in such a way that you think, "man, HE really liked that but the others didn't." This is before we talked to anyone else. So I talked to a few more people and have decided to bring it to the blog. My idea for PCTI8 is to run the same teams back! I thought this was genius. I also thought it got better once I told DK that he would retain his deserved captaincy going into PCTININE going up against whoever wins MVP in eight. So let me break down the pros and cons.

Pros

• The games last year were incredibly close all weekend. Including the final two being decided by 1 (one) point!
• Both teams thought they were the better team for the weekend (I'll expand on this in a second).
• We immediately know our teams, chemistry should only get better, and most importantly we can start talking shit to each other now.
• Gives the Snipers a chance at revenge and the Brats can defend their belt.
• We don't have to delete our team group chats.
• There is a high chance that next year will be just as competitive.

Cons

• You are playing with the same guys. That may not get you excited like it does me.
• No draft. The excitement (or shame in my case). The pageantry. The movements up and down of players (besides Wes) to see who has improved or gotten worse in the eyes of the captains.
• Not getting to play with AHop for the Snipers.
• Dan getting his captaincy pushed out a year and Ben not getting to retain or give his to someone else.
• Struggling to find other things?? 

So we would have Team Snipers pick Smo or whoever #16 is. Dan would keep his captaincy until 9 and go up against MVP of 8. But here's the main reason I would love to do it: both teams thought they were the better team. Obviously the Brats thought this because we won a hard fought series in 6 games. The feeling and sometimes confirmation I have gotten from the Snipers is they thought they had the better talent and better team. An injury, a call, or a bounce here or there would have swung it to them winning in 6. To be honest, they have a good argument. So what's stopping this? Is it the Bored flexing their David Stern/Roger Goodell "muscles" or is it other players wouldn't want this? I'm fine if you don't want to do this as it may reduce some of the excitement, but I'd love to hear where people stand on this. I'm just an ideas guy, guys...

P.S. Deuce's Life, Your Entertainment!

PCTI7 AWARDS

What a great way to follow up Sabin’s series of SPERM with announcing the awards for PCTI7! I love how we continue to add layers into this weekend to improve it each year! PCTI gives all of us a nice outlet for our competitive juices and while we all want to win and the way to accomplish this is accomplished by everyone on the team, we all want to compare ourselves to each other. SPERM does a great job of how people play, but it doesn’t tell the whole story usually. This is where the awards come in (at least for the high SPERM count players).

This was the most competitive PCTI in my book so kudos to our captains for their picks. Not really any surprises here, so I decided to give out some other awards to go along with All Tournament and MVP.

Most Encouraging – Wes – I hated to see Wes go down to injury after he had played well up to that point. Kudos to Wes for staying engaged with his team and being a positive re-enforcement.

Best Apology – Bruise – For some reason I found it hysterical that Bruiser apologized on camera for hitting me in the head. It was even funnier because Deuce played the proverbial role of a parent and asked, “is there anything you want to say to Hops?” right after it happened. I definitely wasn’t made at him as I knew they were trying to foul, but I did want to punch that ref.

Most Unique – Rainbow – I just couldn’t get enough of Rainbow. He’s weird but not in a bad way. He fits in well with the group and he’s also fun to be around solo. He bratted out multiple times which I love. He tried to steal BC’s look, which I still laugh about. Finally, his game is different as well. His body twists and turns in peculiar ways. The bounce passes he had to DK really made my day. Being most unique is an honor with this group.

Best Fake Gameshow Host – AHOP – There wasn’t anyone else even close to this award.

Mr. Hustle – Donley – There’s no bigger compliment to a Cincinnati man than comparing him to Charlie Pete Rose. Donley was active all weekend and crashed the boards hard. I loved it. Best chef was his runner up award.

Best Shot of the Weekend – Joe – I may be forgetting another one and I’m not even sure when this happened, but Joe made a layup where he got fouled twisted threw up the ball with some much spin and banked in the shot. I was on the bench at the time and I thought the shot missed by a foot. I’m still trying to figure out how it went in.

Best Catchphrase – Beas – Back to back years Beas has come up with something I (and probably everyone) walk away from saying all the time. Last year it was “OoooOooo” (hard to spell it out). This year it was *hack a loogie noise* “WET!” I still find myself saying it to myself.

Rookie of the Year – TP – Rainbow had a great weekend, but TP edged him out for ROY. Him putting up a 13-15 game was awesome (especially since he told Ben coming in he would definitely have at least one double double). TP was a big time impact player and next year will be interesting to see how he plays with a year under his belt and not having an injury to rehab from.

Comeback Player of the Year – Sabin – Sabin was really good games 1 and 6, but was consistently good throughout. Having one less sub hurt him, but he was still giving 100% the entire time. This was a toss-up between he and Bruise, but his first and last games helped him pull this one out.

Got Votes, but missed the Cut

Spotlight – 3 AT Votes

Just to touch on SPERM quickly, there were 5 guys that got votes in any capacity and they were the top 5 SPERM players. Hard to hate on SPERM with those type of results. Anyways, congrats to MY DUDE Spotlight on getting a few well deserved AT votes. Spot is very consistent on both ends of the floor and shoots the ball as good or better than anyone. Will his team in 8 recognize this and try and get him more shots? Since he didn’t make the AT team, his award is Most Stylish. Been saying this for years and it really showed this year, Spot is a true hipster and most of us just wish we could look as good as Spot.

BC – 4 AT Votes

I loved playing with the Brats this year. We seemed to connect well before PCTI and would send each other vids of us working out or hooping leading up to this. BC was the ring leader of this. I also thought BC and Beas were two guys that were always upbeat and positive for our team. Sure he yelled “I F*CKING BLEEDING!” to the ref after a “missed call” (even though the blood was drawn a few possessions earlier). BC had some incredible moments: carrying our team day 3 and beating his bare chest after each bucket, jumping up in the stands after a near steal, and who can forget the series clinching bucket that was underrated but is now approaching properly rated. Just a great steady performance all weekend from BC. Best Cig Smoker is his award and he stole it from Spot. Wow! What a performance on that square Saturday night!

All Tournament

Abe – 9 AT Votes, 2 MVP Votes

Most decorated player in PCTI history adds (DJ Khaled voice) Another one! What can you say about this guy that hasn’t already been said? He’s just a very skilled player that is bigger than most of us and has a ton of energy. The hardest part about guarding Abe is you can never let up. He had come up a little tender on one possession I was guarding him and looked to be struggling a little on the way down the next play. While I lighten up a little and someone kicks it to him for a 3 he knocks down. The fact that most defenses are focused on him, he has to defend tough opponents on the other end, and is usually one of the top rebounders and still shoots a high percentage is incredible. If his team won (or possibly even went 7) he easily wins MVP. Just as a side note, I thought his shot was in at the end of game 6.

Ben “JD” Wilson – 9 AT Votes, 3 MVP Votes

I have to admit; I was getting frustrated with Bin at PCTI. There were times it just didn’t seem like he was in it. I get to play with him more than anyone else in PCTI and I know how impactful he can be on both ends, but especially offensively when he is doin his thang. Unfortunately, he gets taken out of games at times by refs or occasionally with shitty teammates (this happens in our pickup games). I walked away thinking he had a subpar tournament. Then I went back and watched the videos, and he saved our team. He hit so many big shots and was a huge presence for us. His 26-7 is a game for the ages. He then distracted everyone except BC on the biggest play of the weekend with his duplex on the Oscar the Grouch. He also had the best brat out (my opinion) of the tourney after his blatant charge. In the end, it shows how good of a player he is that I could think he underperformed and he made AT with MVP votes.

MVP

Dan “the MVP man” Krow – 5 AT Votes, 10 MVP Votes

Then there was Dan… Unlike Abe, you could say a lot of things that haven’t been said about him. Things like, “wow what a scorer!”, “yeah he led the tourney with 3s made and 3 point %”, or even “yeah that haircut looked good, I didn’t want to punch him as soon as I saw him.” But those were things that Dan did. Dan has worked hard at getting his game better. He has always been a great defender, distributor, and a pleasure to play with. In order to become a more complete player, he needed to become a good shooter AND actually shoot often enough to be really impactful. Welp, that’s exactly what he did this year. Most of us have thought DK could shoot well in the past but only if he was really open. This year he was a shoot first player and it paid dividends. Shooting a gaudy 68% from 3 the first 3 games, scoring 23, 18, and 10 is one of the greatest 3 game stretches in PCTI history. As he tired and start to lose his shot, he of course picked up in other areas. The last 3 games he had 19 boards and 10 assists. All of this while playing excellent defense on Abe. We joked this was a “Lifetime Achievement” MVP, but I actually didn’t want to vote for you because of you “acheivements”. Honestly this was a well deserved MVP.

Congrats Abe, Bin, and Danny boy!

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

Wait! It can't be! That's the PCTI blog's music!

I told you it was coming back and now it's official.

Just in time for your Friday afternoon when you're counting down the minutes until you can leave work, The Bored chops it up with Sabin for 50+ minutes.

Sabin Productivity Rankings, part III

This is the 3rd installment of a 4 part series that examines the potential validity of the controversial Sabin Productivity Rankings with commentary 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 2 of the SPR, better know as "Bs and Cs get degrees."

8) Hops - 81 points

Hops and I haven't played much together in PCTI, but he is always somebody that I enjoy competing against. There's a large contingent of players in PCTI that think Hops is among the smartest players that we have, and I'm a member of that group. I've told DK on a number of occasions that Hops just has this uncanny ability to always be in my way when I am trying to get to certain spots on the floor. But in addition to his normal sticky defending and help side play, he brought his jump shot with him to Cincinnati. Dude stroked 10-26 from deep over the weekend for a warm 39%. He also added an above-average 60% from the charity stripe to go along with a salty 56% EFG for the weekend. Hops also always contributes in other categories and this year was no different, adding 23 boards, 10 assists, and 4 steals to his tally. He also led his team with a low-turnover mark of 5. He slapped up terrific games 2, 3, and 6 with lines of 11-3-2, 12-3-0, and 13-4-1 in the clincher. In those games, he shot 8-14 from 3 and 6-7 from the free throw line. I can't confirm this statement, but this may have been one of Hop's best PCTI performances with timely triples and positive energy. I guess the "Moses parts the Red Sea" layup got a little traction over the weekend, especially with Danny, but this was an otherwise fine performance by one of PCTI's favorite sons.

7) TP - 87 points

Let me state for the record that I am not thrilled with TP's driving ability nor his choice of music, but those are small matters compared to the size of this guy's contribution to his team in Cincinnati. I think it is fair to say that TP started out the tournament a little bit slow given that he was trying to get a feel for his teammates and where he could add value. But the bigger theme is that he just kept getting better and better and better as the weekend continued. As an example, he posted a game 1 line of 3 points and 4 boards on 14% shooting. However, as he got more comfortable with his group, he was able to post a monster 13 and 15 in a crucial game 5 win. Without TP in that game, with a nod to BC, the Brats do not win that game and ultimately may have turned the series to the Snipers. Respect to Abe, BC, Bruise, and Donley, but we may have found PCTI's best rebounder. His numbers don't do justice to his overall impact, so I'm going to leave those to the side for this discussion. But let me just say that I would be shocked if this dude wasn't selected in round 2 of this year's draft. You can always do worse than a guy who puts his hard hat on, rebounds everything in sight, creates extra possessions for his team, and has a relentless motor. Reminds me a lot of a young Joakim Noah, only with a better haircut. I'd play with this dude any PCTI and would count myself lucky to be his teammate...I just don't want him to drive me to the gym.

6) Sabin - 89 points

I admit that I am surprised to find myself in this group. I did not think my impact was the same caliber as some of the players in groups 2 and 3, but the reality is that I typically shoot a decent percentage from the field, make my free throws, and don't turn the ball over. So some guys had better positives than me, but I had significantly fewer negatives than them if that makes sense. Although I only shot 38% for the weekend, I shot it well in game 1 with 14 points on 5-8 from the field and game 6 with 14 points on 5-11. I led the tourney in FT% at 88 and AT ratio at 4.5. Slapped up 18 assists for the weekend and added 8 steals for good measure. My jumper went to sleep in games 2-5, but that has given me all of the motivation that I needed to get back in the gym and get ready for 8. I'm super excited to be back in the PCTI family after a long winter of discontent. Thanks to you guys for having me back and I look forward to all of the offseason events we have coming up.

Sabin

Sabin Productivity Rankings, Part II

In the continuing 4-part series of Sabin Productivity Rankings, here is Group 3, better known as "Just above the Mendoza Line."

11) JT Singz - 69 points

Everybody's favorite PCTI showman went on a roller coaster ride in PCTI 7. He certainly had some moments that make you think he is a top-shelf player in the tournament, but like several participants, had a difficult time stringing shots together. For a large part of the weekend, his 3 ball abandoned him and he ended the tournament at just 4-27 from deep, a cool 15%. However, he did shoot 8-13 from 2 point land, and this raised his overall FG% to 30%. He also attacked the basket well for much of the weekend and led the tournament in FTAs with 20. Yet he only converted there at a 50% clip. Still slapped up 26 boards and 15 assists, and co-led the league in steals with 8. Had very nice games 1 and 6, with a 12-7-5 in the opener and an 11-4-5 in the finale. And nobody is a better one-man wrecking crew in the full court than this guy. Also needs to be given props for playing through Day 3 when he wasn't feeling well physically. And even though his jumper was absent for much of the tourney, this is still a guy that you want to play with.

10) Diesel Donley - 75 points

This may be the most interesting case study in PCTI. By any measure, Donley is a max-effort player on every possession. His teammates love that he crashes the boards on both ends, accepts any challenge or assignment on defense, is always in great physical condition, and ALWAYS gives a crap. By a different measure, you could see from the videos that Cockstrong was taking some very high degree of difficulty shots that would be tough for any player to make. A fair way to analyze his performance is to say that his effort and energy are always sky high, but his efficiency is not quite what he would like to see. As an example, he tied for 3rd overall in rebounding with 32, but also shot 32% for the weekend. He led the league in steals with 8, but also competed with Abe for most shot attempts on the Snipers. He tied BC for the aggregate steals/blocks lead in the tourney with 12, but also shot just 20% from deep at 4-20. If Diesel can get his efficiency in 8 to approach his effort and energy, I don't see how he would ever be anything less than a high draft pick. Also, major props for organizing a great event in 7. In all likelihood, that may have been the best hosting job in the history of the tournament. Respect.

11) Bruiser - 79 points

Everybody's favorite bodyguard who is also a genuinely nice guy. I've always enjoyed this guy's company even though we have done quite a bit of losing together. You can always count on the Bruise for a hard-hat effort and some spectacular/scary moments of elite basketball ability. One of my favorite guys to be around and also one of the guys who is most self-critical in the tournament. He was super solid for much of the weekend, averaging more than 7PPG on 41.3% from the field. Also went 5-8 from the FT line for an above-average 63%. Co-tied Donley for 3rd in rebounds with 32. Had a terrific day 3 with 20 points and 12 boards. Also had 5 steals in the tournament. Given that he had to chase a very active pair of TP and BC for much of the weekend, Bruise put in some really good work for much of the weekend. Hopefully, he will hit the gym this offseason and bring it even better in 8.


Sabin

Sabin Productivity Rankings, Part 1

Sabin Productivity Metric, Part I

This post is a 4-part series to discuss the winners of the infamous and controversial Sabin Productivity Metric. Its origin begins in my middle school basketball coach, James Hall, who very simply awarded one point for every positive thing that you did in a game and subtracted one point for every negative thing that you did. The idea is to score as high a positive number as kpossible to reflect value to the team and to the game. A good way to think about it is that if you shoot 50% from the field and do not turn the ball over, you will always score a positive number, or said a better way, never score a negative number.

Over the years, I have revised his model by incorporating additional scoring for 3-pointers and eliminating fouls as a negative score. My hope is that this newer model reflects authentic value based on today’s way of playing basketball. Here is the formula:

SPM = (FG made + 3 balls made + FT made + rebounds + assists + steals + blocks) – (FG missed + FT missed + turnovers)

As an example, players like Abe and BC usually score out well in the SPM because they shoot a solid percentage, make 3 balls, and contribute in just about every category. On the flip side of that, players who do not score well in the SPM typically have low shooting percentages and/or do not make significant contributions in other categories.

Without further delay, here is Group 4 in the SPM, or as I like to call them…”Guys who think the SPM is stupid.”

14) Wesley Murray: 25 points

It’s unfair to start with Wes given that he was injured in Game 3 and was unable to complete the tournament. By any account, Wes was playing good minutes and was both productive and efficient in his time. For the tournament, he shot 80% from the field and 67% from 3, knocking down his only trip to the free throw line. He also led the tournament in EFG at 100% and an ungodly 2.2 points per shot. Big shout out to Wes for his continued positivity throughout games 4-6 as he encouraged his teammates and was a positive force for us. His stock went way up for me and I know that his SPM would’ve been much higher if his weekend had not been cut short. Great job Wes!

13) Rainbow: 58 points

Newcomer Rainbow had some nice moments in his first PCTI. But like all of us, he experienced some of the low moments as well. Day 3 was particularly difficult on Godon as he shot 20% from the field. This brought his overall shooting percentage for the weekend to 32%. However, he shot the hell out of the 3 ball at 44% on 8-18, and even went a smooth 3-3 from deep in Game 2. He hit the boards on day 3 and snagged 9 boards total in games 5 & 6, and also had a salty A/T ratio at 2.0. Also had a great tournament for steals and was one of PCTI’s leaders with 8. A nice entry to his PCTI career and I am betting that his SPM next year will be significantly higher.

12) Mike Beasley: 61 points

I’m a huge fan of this guy. Along with Donley, this is one of the guys you think about when you talk about making max effort plays. Also one of PCTI’s best athletes. But like many of us have experienced, there are some PCTI’s when your shot doesn’t make the trip with you. Beas had shooting splits of 26% (FG), 26% (3s), and 55% (FT), well below his standards. Yet, he still pumped in 25 boards, 19 assists, and 6 steals, rivaling his teammate DK for best floor game on The Brats. Also led his team in A/T ratio at 2.4. Best games were games 1 and 6, where he went 12-7-5 in game 1 and 11-5-6 in the series clincher. Even though the shot wasn’t there, most of his teammates had positive reviews for Biz for the weekend. It’s amazing to think that his SPM was this high given the shooting numbers. Like Rainbow, I’d be really surprised if this number isn’t higher in 8.

Sabin