Jack Toft
Years ago

The price of Fourth Spot

19 points

The Sixers missed out on 4th spot by 0.7%. Their defensive score was the highest of any team giving up 2,681 points over the season, but their offensive score was also the highest of any team at 2,687 points for the season.

The Breakers were in a very similar position coming in at #2 for offensive score and #3 for defensive score.

They say Defence wins championships. #1 Perth was the most defensive team giving up the least points (2,274 in 27 games), which is 11.5 ppg less than Adelaide, but scoring 6 ppg less than Adelaide.

When the season gets reviewed and analysed, that crucial % margin equates to less than one point per game. It's the little things that count, but either squeezing another point in offence, or tightening up on D to stop a point, or even half a point either way, Adelaide could have got 4th.

In days gone by the split was all important, now % separates the teams. Will we see a slightly more defensive style of play from Adelaide next season?

Topic #44835 | Report this topic

PeterJohn
Years ago

It's interesting looking at the offensive and defensive ratings for Adelaide vs the rest of the league, over the past few seasons. They're on the Spatial Jam site (https://spatialjam.com/nbl-historical-stats)

This season Adelaide are +1.0 net offensive minus defensive ratings (4th in the league). Last season they were +5.5 (2nd in the league). The season before it was +3.2 (2nd).

The difference this season is that the defensive rating got worse by a lot, while the offensive rating only improved marginally.

Consistent with Jack's suggestion that defence be a focus for improvement next season. Defensive point guard needed perhaps (e.g., Darnell Mee style of player)?

Reply #734561 | Report this post

Lovebroker
Years ago

PeterJohn did you get the defensive and offensive efficiencies off a site or worked it out yourself? If the former, where from?

Reply #734563 | Report this post

Anonymous
Years ago

Are you serious? he mentions the site in his first paragraph.

Reply #734564 | Report this post

Anonymous
Years ago

Maybe it was the slow start when they had de Leon

Reply #734567 | Report this post

Anonymous
Years ago

It was Moore's injury, 6 of 14 losses came when he was injured.

Reply #734570 | Report this post

Uncle Phil
Years ago

Defence is a major issue but the other thing is the Sixers really failed in the clutch this year.

- Jordair Jett's buzzer beater in a game that should never have been that close
- Cam Gliddon’s buzzer beater
- that horrible 4th quarter fade out against Brisbane at home
- the Fourth quarter fade outs against Perth and Melbourne in the last two rounds when we probably had played well enough in the first 3 quarters to win both.

It seems as though the team really lacked on court leadership down the stretch all season. If one of those games mentioned above turns out differently - we make the four. If you replace Conger with an import point guard that even somewhere approached the effectiveness of a Cotton or Ware, I think that’s the major stepping stone to improving the squad for next season.

Reply #734582 | Report this post

Zodiac
Years ago

It was the slow start with Deleon. We often start slowly but with this group we just couldn't afford to and it cost us a spot in the playoffs.

3-6 w/ Deleon

11-8 w/ Conger

Reply #734595 | Report this post

A A Ron
Years ago

Makes you wonder why teams continue to run out the clock on the final possession when leading a game when percentage counts, had they just taken a meaningless deep 3 on that possession for each of their wins...

Reply #734601 | Report this post

Perthworld
Years ago

Management went cheap on DeLeon. Oops.

Reply #734627 | Report this post

Anonymous
Years ago

Management made a mid season import upgrade. Oops.

Reply #734657 | Report this post

Anonymous
Years ago

"It was the slow start with Deleon."

They didn't start slow with Deleon, but they did slide once Moore got injured. They also struggled when Moore got injured later in the season.

Reply #734664 | Report this post

FSTOS
Years ago

Percentage is a terrible way to separate teams. It's the reason in almost every basketball league and tourbament in the world they use head to head. Why did the nbl change.

By the way who would have been in each spit if head to head was used.

Reply #734668 | Report this post

Anonymous
Years ago

I agree. Percentage is nice and simple for dumb footy fans to understand but I don't think it is the fairest way. Also I don't think it is good to encourage blowouts. I would rather see teams play their benches when the result is beyond doubt but the percentage system incentivizes teams to run their starters as long as possible.

Reply #734671 | Report this post

Anonymous
Years ago

+/- meh.

Reply #734679 | Report this post

Hoops

The price of Fourth Spot

Recent Posts