Fantasy basketball: Just the stats

These are the NBA standings as of today, March 13th, 2018.

Here are the NBA standings since January 1st, 2018:

West

1. Rockets, 26-5
2. Warriors, 22-8
3. Trail Blazers, 22-9
4. Jazz, 21-9
5. Pelicans, 20-10
6. Clippers, 20-10
7. Thunder, 19-12
8. Lakers, 19-12
9. Nuggets, 18-13
10. Timberwolves, 16-15
11. Spurs, 12-17
12. Kings, 9-22
13. Mavericks, 8-21
14. Grizzlies, 6-23
15. Suns, 5-25

East

1. Raptors, 25-7
2. Pacers, 20-10
3. 76ers, 19-10
4. Celtics, 16-11
5. Wizards, 17-13
6. Heat, 17-14
7. Hornets, 16-15
8. Bucks, 16-16
9. Cavaliers, 14-16
10. Bulls, 10-20
11. Hawks, 10-21
12. Pistons, 10-21 (sigh)
13. Magic, 8-22
14. Nets, 8-23
15. Knicks, 6-25

Here’s the top 10 in assists in 2018 so far:

1. Dr. John Wall, 10.5 assists per game
2. Sergeant Russell Westbrook, 10.3 APG
3. LeBron James, 8.7
4. James Harden, 8.3
5. Ben Simmons, 7.7
6. Chris Paul, 7.6
7. Nikola Jokic, 7.5
8. Professor Spencer Dinwiddie, 7.3
9. Draymond Green, 7.2
10. Rajon Rondo, 7.0

Four of the top 10 are not guards. One is a goddamn center, while the other three can probably guard centers. Dray is the only Warrior in the top 15 since 1/1/18, which I find interesting, but probably not that significant: the Warriors pass the ball so much that any one of their multiple distributors could probably be the top assister, depending. Golden State still averages the most assists as a team.

More stats:

• The Spurs should be scared, the TWolves should be scared, the Cavs should be scared, and the Pistons should be ashamed of themselves.
• The Warriors are first in points per game, 116.2 PPG, since 1/1/18. Toronto is second at 113.9 PPG. So are the Clippers, who are tied for the 6th best record since the new year.
• The Spurs are bottom 5 at 103.7 PPG in 2018. However, the Spurs also give up the third least amount of points per game, 101.6.
• The top 5 defenses in 2018 so far are Utah (98.8 PPG), Indiana, San Antonio, Philadelphia, and Miami (102.2 PPG).
• The Memphis Grizzlies have given up the 10th least amount of points per game in 2018, 106 PPG. Cleveland has given up the second most points per game at 113.5.
• The Milwaukee Bucks are attempting the least amount of shots in the new year, 81.3 field goal attempts per game. The New Orleans Pelicans are somehow attempting the most, 91.3 FGA. The Pellies are the only team over 90.
• 12 teams are attempting 30+ three pointers per game so far in 2018. Only one team, Houston, is attempting 40+.
• Minnesota is attempting the least: 21.5 3PA per game. Karl-Anthony Towns, the Big KAT, is the best three point shooter on the Timberwolves at 43%, and he attempts the 4th most threes. The Big KAT, who is very most definitely the best player on Minnesota, including Jimmy Butler (I know, he’s injured; KAT is already better, even though his defense needs mucho work), is third in minutes in 2018 behind Butler and Wiggins, third in field goal attempts behind Butler and Wiggins, is third in assists behind Teague and Butler, and has the second best plus-minus behind Butler. The Big KAT is far and away the best player on Minnesota, and yet Wiggins still gets to run the offense, despite his crappy outside shooting (31.8 3PT%). This is coaching. Minnesota is 5-5 in their last 10 games, and they’re 23-19 against probable playoff teams this season. However, they’re 1-5 against probable playoff teams over the past month. If Butler can’t play, then Thibs has to unleash Towns. Minnesota played well Sunday night, but this team is never going to advance so long as Thibs keeps rewarding Wiggins with offense over Towns. Understand: Wiggins is NOTHING compared to Karl-Anthony Towns. The Big KAT will be a top 10 player over the next decade. Meanwhile, Wiggins will be Old Man Dwyane “Flashes” Wade if he doesn’t improve his perimeter shooting. On the bright side, Wiggins’s defense is looking better.
• Victor Oladipo is averaging 2.8 steals per game in 2018, as well as 22 points on 47% shooting. Doesn’t he seem like the perfect player to have replaced Andre Roberson on Oklahoma City? A 2-guard who’s an elite defender and can score? (Sorry, I had to.)
• Out of players who average at least 30 minutes per game in 2018, Rudy Gobert has the best plus-minus at 9.9, followed by Chris Paul, James Harden, Joel Embiid, and Dipo.
• Out of players who average at least 20 minutes per game AND attempt at least two three-pointers, Kevin Durant is best at 48.7 3PT%, followed by Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Jabari Parker (!!), Darren Collison, Joe Ingles, and Josh Richardson.
• Under those same parameters, 20+ minutes and 2+ 3PA, Karl-Anthony Towns has the best overall field goal percentage in the NBA at 56.2%. Goddamn, he’s amazing.
• Anthony Davis is the only player averaging over 30 points per game in 2018.
• TJ Warren is averaging over 20 points per game. Is that good or bad for Phoenix?
• Steph Curry has the best true shooting percentage in 2018, 69.1% (holy whoa!). Big KAT has the 5th best. Come. On. Thibs!
• Fred VanVleet of the Toronto Raptors has the second best net rating in 2018 behind Andre Roberson (lol). Toronto’s such a deep team that its gritty defenders are benefiting from the team’s overall excellence to propel them into artificially high ratings (OG Anunoby had this earlier in the season). The second unit on Toronto is, like, maybe better than some team’s starting fives? I think Toronto is undeniably the best team in the East right now, perhaps followed by a (healthy) Wizards team, and then the Cavs. If Toronto doesn’t make the Eastern Conference Finals, at least, this season will be considered a disappointment. We the North!
• Out of players who take at least 16 shots per game, only two, Tyreke Evans and Aaron Gordon, are shooting under 40% so far this year.
• Out of the 18 players who are averaging at least 35 minutes per game in 2018, only four have a 3PT% of 40 or higher: Dr. John Wall (still injured, unfortunately), Dame Lillard, CJ McCollum, and Golden Gary Harris.