It’s been a long year, 12 months to be exact. Over that time the writers of the Hardwood Paroxysm Basketball Network have written hundreds of thousands of words on more ideas than we care to remember. Some of that work was questionable, some was good, some was great. As we head into the new year, here are our favorite pieces from 2015 at Nylon Calculus. Don’t forget to check out the best of Hardwood Paroxysm, Upside and Motor, and Friendly Bounce as well.
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PT-PM, RPM, and the curious case of Ersan Ilyasova and Khris Middleton
Andrew Johnson | @CountingBaskets
A case study of defensive RPM and PT-PM looking at Ersan Ilyasova and Khris Middleton.
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A manifesto for the “best player available” approach
Layne Vashro | @vjl_bball
Hitting in the draft if simply too important to allow eliminating options for any reason other than future potential. Take the best player available.
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The NBA’s inequality problem: defense earns 60 cents on the dollar
Mika Honkasalo | @MikaHonkasalo
Offense gets you paid. Defense, not so much.
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Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook: the odd couple
Matt D’Anna | @hoop_nerd
How do two of the biggest offensive stars in the league affect each other when they’re both in the game.
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How will we remember Kevin Garnett?
Justin Willard | @AcrosstheCourt
A statistical longform on the career and legacy of Kevin Garnett.
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CBA Corner: renegotiate and extend
Nate Duncan | @NateDuncanNBA
Thus, renegotiations and extensions could be a powerful tool to soak up cap space that otherwise might be poorly utilized.
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Bully Ball
Seth Partnow | @SethPartnow
To put it another way, a big man who can’t punish a smaller player is giving up a mismatch without creating one in return.
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The Chicago Sky’s hidden defense — rebounding
Howard Megdal | @HowardMegdal
Accordingly, every defensive rebound isn’t merely an end to a Sky opponent’s possession. It is an opportunity to unleash the best offense in the league.
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Visualizing team offense by style
Ian Levy | @HickoryHigh
Using four elements—pace, ball movement, player movement and shot selection—to describe and visualize team offense style.
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NBA Players need their rest: a look at shot difficulty
Adam Yudelman | @oodlesofyoodles
How does rest impact shot selection?
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