Cleveland Cavaliers: The advanced numbers that improve the team
By Ryan Piers
Rodney Hood
The Cavaliers were caught in a precarious position. Trade young assets and picks for a contemporary star and it threatens its future, but deal veterans for prospects and they can forget about a title this season. Cleveland found a middle ground, snagging Hood.
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The former Utah Jazz wing has both great potential as well as promise for this season. He is one of those players that is already putting up great numbers. You just need to know where to look.
Altman did, laying out Hood’s impressive advanced stats only to realize they match up with game’s best. While in Utah, he averaged 21.8 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.2 assists per 36 minutes. Hoops Habit previously lined them up with Klay Thompson, showing similarities.
With comparable minutes, Hood’s season would be on par with white collar wings like Andrew Wiggins (17.5 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.7 assists per 36 minutes) and Khris Middleton (19.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.0 assists per 36 minutes).
Carmelo Anthony is averaging 19.1 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.5 assists per 36 minutes and teammate Paul George is at 22.2 points, 5.3 rebound and 3.1 assists.
The bottom line is, the Cavs added a wing with numbers comparable to household names, but at a fraction of the cost.
Next: 2017-18 Week 18 NBA Power Rankings
Altman, using advanced numbers, was able to pinpoint the right addition to LeBron on the outside, and that will pay dividends in the postseason.