One of the favorite parts of the NBA offseason for me is the trade rumors. Those aren't just Draft Day trades (although tonight is going to be one of the highlights of my summer... no, I'm not that sad of a human being), but all of the rumors surrounding teams buying and selling. So when I saw this, I had to run around my apartment few times half-screaming, "Wow!"
Y! Sources: Brooklyn, Boston discussing Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce blockbuster deal. http://t.co/5AcKbFUcIX
Don't lie: a starting five of Deron "Coach killer" Williams, Paul "There are places outside of Boston?" Pierce, Joe "Yes I get paid that much" Johnson, Kevin "Possibly legitimately insane" Pierce, and Brook "What's rebounding?" Lopez with Jason Kidd at head coach may be the most entertaining starting five of all-time. And I say that with zero hint of irony and not forgetting what's happening down in south Florida.
But as entertaining as that starting five would be, would it be efficient? Unfortunately for the Brooklyn faithful, the answer is not completely. nERD score. For basketball, this is an estimate of how many games above or below .500 a team would be with that player as a starter alongside a league-average team. For example, LeBron had a ridiculous 27.3 nERD this past season, meaning that if the Heat started LeBron and four average players, they would still be expected to go 55-27. Norris Cole, meanwhile, would lead an average team to a 39-43 record with his inefficient play thanks to his -5.3 nERD.
2012 and 2011 Paul Pierce had a lot in common: both had decent offensive ratings around 108, both had great defensive ratings around 102, and both finished with an nERD score at 6.7. However, 2013 Pierce started to slip a bit. His rebounding percentage increased by 2.2 percent over the previous season, but his blocks, steals, and usage rate all decreased while his defensive rating went up three points (0.03 more points allowed per possession). He finished with an nERD score at 4.1, 39th-most efficient among NBA players.
The KG steep decline was even worse. After posting an exceptional 8.9 nERD score in 2012 thanks to a NBA-best 94 defensive rating, KG saw his true rebound rate, assist rate, and offensive rating all slightly slip, while his previously league-best defensive rating rose all the way to 99. While Boston's team defense is slightly to blame, going from the best DRtg in the NBA in '11-12 to seventh in '12-13, so is Garnett's .511 effective field goal percentage (eFG%) allowed to opposing centers per 82games.com. His final nERD score was just 3.1, behind even still hold amnesty, and they would be a more efficient team overall in using it to get rid of the Wallace dead weight. Humphries and Shengaila's roles would also be negligible on the new team, given that neither one was above or below +/-1 nERD all last season.