Thanks to Joey Burton for passing on this interesting article on how Lary Brown is pushing Charlotte to a play-off contender:Right now, Brown has the always lowly Charlotte Bobcats playing defense like the All-Star filled squads that won the last two NBA titles. And although their 10-14 record is similar to last year’s 35-47, Michael Jordan’s team is on pace to secure their first-ever playoff berth. Examining the Four Factors, we can start to see how this squad is getting it done.
Effective Field Goal Percentage
The Bobcats have held opponents to a .486 eFG%, which is better than the league average of .497 and ranks 11th in the NBA. Both the 44% FG% and 33% 3FG% surrendered by Charlotte are low, so they’re making it difficult for teams to score both inside and outside. Of particular note is that Bobcat opponents are forced to shoot 26% of their shots from behind the arc, which is considerably higher than the league average of 22%, so they are keeping teams from getting easy looks at the basket.
The Bobcats have held opponents to a .486 eFG%, which is better than the league average of .497 and ranks 11th in the NBA. Both the 44% FG% and 33% 3FG% surrendered by Charlotte are low, so they’re making it difficult for teams to score both inside and outside. Of particular note is that Bobcat opponents are forced to shoot 26% of their shots from behind the arc, which is considerably higher than the league average of 22%, so they are keeping teams from getting easy looks at the basket.
Turnover Percentage
As good as Charlotte is at forcing bad shots, they’re even better at forcing bad decisions before the shot. Their opponents turn it over on 15.8% of possessions, the second-best mark in the league which averages 13.8%. It’s hard to score against a team when they’re busy taking the ball out of your hands.
As good as Charlotte is at forcing bad shots, they’re even better at forcing bad decisions before the shot. Their opponents turn it over on 15.8% of possessions, the second-best mark in the league which averages 13.8%. It’s hard to score against a team when they’re busy taking the ball out of your hands.
Defensive Rebound Percentage
Most teams that do well clearing the glass after an opponent’s miss have a dominant big man or frontcourt, teams like the Magic, the Cavaliers, and the Spurs. Guess what, Charlotte is right in the middle of these three at the top of the league for defensive rebounding. Whereas the average missed shot is boarded by the defense 73% of the time, Charlotte gets their hands on 76% of them. A lot of this obviously has to do with leaper extraordinaire Gerald Wallace and his 12 RPG.
Free Throw Rate
Make it a perfect four for four. Charlotte is better than the league average at keeping opposing players off the free throw line, as well. The Bobcats give up .210 FT/FGA, well below the .231 median mark. This means their defense isn’t just forcing other teams to stay out of the paint for shots and rebounds, they’re doing it without getting their paws all over them. By the way, only two teams other than the Bobcats are above average in all Four Factors on defense. Think you know who they are? They’re named at the end of this article.
Most teams that do well clearing the glass after an opponent’s miss have a dominant big man or frontcourt, teams like the Magic, the Cavaliers, and the Spurs. Guess what, Charlotte is right in the middle of these three at the top of the league for defensive rebounding. Whereas the average missed shot is boarded by the defense 73% of the time, Charlotte gets their hands on 76% of them. A lot of this obviously has to do with leaper extraordinaire Gerald Wallace and his 12 RPG.
Free Throw Rate
Make it a perfect four for four. Charlotte is better than the league average at keeping opposing players off the free throw line, as well. The Bobcats give up .210 FT/FGA, well below the .231 median mark. This means their defense isn’t just forcing other teams to stay out of the paint for shots and rebounds, they’re doing it without getting their paws all over them. By the way, only two teams other than the Bobcats are above average in all Four Factors on defense. Think you know who they are? They’re named at the end of this article.
Read the entire article by Zachariah Blott at: http://bit.ly/5i87vF
