What does Ujiri look for in a player?

[mcHAPPY]

Matt, just a correction but you're using WS/48 for most of the players, not WP/48.

WP/48 is a stat but it's available on boxscoregeeks.com, not basketball-reference.com.

EDIT: On the actual observations. It certainly does look like the Raptors use advanced statistics quite a lot, this was known under BC, looks like they've continued the trend under Masai.

I wonder what that bodes for DeMar especially, as his resume isn't very uh, inclusive, about advanced statistics.

Maybe he continues the trend from 13-14, I wouldn't be surprised if he does pop back over .100, just maybe not to the extent it did in 13-14, but somewhere close?

What happens then? We keep him? If they do use adv. stats and he does pop back over .100, they'll negotiate his salary as such wouldn't they?

Thanks for heads up.

I initially started using Boxscoregeeks.com but switched because couldn't get all the players.

The results are essentially the same regardless of which stat you use. Ross looks a little 'better' at .061 using WP/48 and DD slips to .073.

[Mindlessness]

Matt, just a correction but you're using WS/48 for most of the players, not WP/48.

WP/48 is a stat but it's available on boxscoregeeks.com, not basketball-reference.com.

EDIT: On the actual observations. It certainly does look like the Raptors use advanced statistics quite a lot, this was known under BC, looks like they've continued the trend under Masai.

I wonder what that bodes for DeMar especially, as his resume isn't very uh, inclusive, about advanced statistics.

Maybe he continues the trend from 13-14, I wouldn't be surprised if he does pop back over .100, just maybe not to the extent it did in 13-14, but somewhere close?

What happens then? We keep him? If they do use adv. stats and he does pop back over .100, they'll negotiate his salary as such wouldn't they?

[mcHAPPY]

I started a thread in late April asking: What exactly does a Masai Ujiri team look likes?

At that time Raptors were swept from playoffs and my assumption, which turned out to be more wrong than right, was big changes were coming. Well changes did come but not directly to the foundation of the team as I had thought and hoped.

On the coaching front, Casey is still in charge but yet another overhaul of the assistants occurred. With Greer reportedly set to be in charge of the defense, I await if we are getting real change or just lipstick on a pig.

With the players, the core remains. Unquestionably right now the core is JV, DD, DC, and KL.... and maybe PP. The only starter to go is, of course, Amir and Carroll takes over for Ross who is now a bench player.

Where the major shake up occurred was to the bench. As mentioned Ross is coming off the bench. Lou, Vasquez, Hansbrough, and Chuck are all gone with Joseph, Biyombo, and Scola in.

The kids, Bruno and Bebe, remain with 2 new additions in Wright and Powell.


So all this got me thinking back to that thread linked above.... I don't believe we have yet seen what a Masai Ujiri team looks like - barring significant strategy and philosophy change on Casey's part this coming season (please note I started the sentence with 'I believe' meaning it is my own opinion). There is no question Ujiri is living up to the 'patient' label he has been given and admitted to being. There is an evolution happening with this team it is just that many of us over analyze the whole process on a daily basis that we might not often recognize it (speaking in generalities and maybe more to myself here).


So while the team continues to be a work in progress, something popped out at me that just about all players he has brought in has in common: they are, just about, all highly rated advanced stat players, in particular, on WS/48.

*Note: I am ignoring players obtained by Bargnani and Gay trade (hopefully for obvious reasons) except PP and GV because they were resigned*

All stats in following table from Basketball-Reference.com, RealGm.com, or Sports-reference.com

Player	acquired	Previous or in season WS/48
Tyler Hansbrough	July 15, 2013	.154
DJ Augustin	July 22, 2013	.112
Austin Daye	August 1, 2013	.108
Julyan Stone	September 18, 2013	.128
Nando De Colo	February 20, 2014	.101
DeAndre Daniels	June 26, 2014	.160
Lou Williams	June 30, 2014	.087
Bebe	June 30, 2014	.235
Kyle Lowry	July 10, 2014	.197
Patrick Patterson	July 11, 2014	.147
Greivis Vasquez	July 15, 2014	.096
James Johnson	July 15, 2014	.150
Greg Steimsma	September 3, 2014	.072
Delon Wright	June 25, 2015	.289
Norman Powell	JUne 25, 2015	.140
DeMarre Carroll	July 9, 2015	.154
Cory Joseph	July 9, 2015	.149
Luis Scola	July 13, 2015	.126
Bismack Biyombo	July 16, 2015	.156

**Bebe, Powell, and Wright are WP/40**

The league average is about .100 and just about every signing was for a player that was at minimum average. Only exceptions were Vasquez (.096 - Raps had Bird Rights and no cap space), Steimsma (.072 - need for big and they are tough to find... he did post .170 in rookie year), and Lou Williams (.087 - it was all about Bebe but his last 3 years in Philly prior to ACL he was .130, .141, and .170).


Looking at current Raptors roster, the only 4 players who were not at .100 (i.e. approximately league average) were Bruno and Bebe (excused due to lack of minutes) and DeRozan and Ross (9th and 12th on team).

DeRozan had .090 and Ross was .054.

(To DeRozan's credit he was .141 in 2013-14 but was .066/.055/.054/.075 his first 4 seasons)


If I was Ross I would not be looking to buy any Toronto real estate. If I was DeRozan and wanted to stay in Toronto, I'd return to 2013-14 form tout de suite.



Anyways, hopefully someone out there finds above interesting.