Say what you will about the Nets and their off-season pick-ups thus far (I certainly said a lot last Friday), but one thing is certain – they are assembling a roster that, statistically speaking, is a definitive improvement over last year’s 12-win debacle. With the acquisitions of Travis Outlaw, Jordan Farmar, Anthony Morrow (who was officially acquired in a sign and trade yesterday) and Johan Petro, the Nets are adding to their already young and developing core, and doing this with players who offer an improved skillet over organizational predecessors like Jarvis Hayes, Bobby Simmons, Keyon Dooling and Josh Boone. Meanwhile, for the first time since the dismantling of the “Big Three” era, the Nets appear to be following an actual team-building philosophy – acquiring athletic, multi-purpose players who can run the floor, play defense, and shoot the three. When your team’s primary weapons are an athletic, speedy point guard in Devin Harris and a low post powerhouse in Brook Lopez, the athletic and three-point aspects become especially important.
But let’s go back to where the Nets have statistically improved. Here are some of the key numbers (using advanced metrics) for some of our new acquisitions compared to how some of the Nets playing in similar role/positions last year performed. I’m even going to use Outlaw’s 2009-10 numbers, which were affected by a lingering foot injury all season.
Small Forward
Travis Outlaw: 16.9 (points per 40 min); 50.3 (true shooting %); 9.1 (assist ratio); 8.6 (turnover ratio); 9.8 (rebound rate); 13.34 (PER).
Jarvis Hayes: 13.6 (P 40); 52.1 (TS %); 9.9 (assist ratio); 6.9 (turnover ratio); 6.0 (rebound rate); 9.75 (PER).
Outlaw vs. Hayes: P 40 (+3.3); TS% (-1.8); assist ratio (-.8); turnover ratio (-1.5); rebound rate (+3.8); PER (+3.59).
Chris Douglas Roberts: 15.2 (P 40); 51.2 (TS %); 11.2 (assist ratio); 11.7 (turnover ratio); 6.6 (rebound rate); 11.52 (PER).
Outlaw vs. Douglas-Roberts: P 40 (+1.7); TS% (-.9); assist ratio (-2.1); turnover ratio (+2); rebound rate (+3.2); PER (+1.82).
Shooting Guard
Anthony Morrow: 17.8 (P40); 59.7 (TS%); 11.1 (assist ratio); 8.9 (turnover ratio); 7.1 (rebound rate); 14.07 (PER).
Courtney Lee: 14.9 (P40); 52.5 (TS%); 11.6 (assist ratio); 7.3 (turnover ratio); 6.1 (rebound rate); 12.88 (PER).
Morrow vs. Lee: P40 (+2.9); TS% (+7.2); assist ratio (-.5); turnover ratio (-1.6); rebound rate (+1); PER (+1.19).
Terrence Williams: 14.9 (P40); 45.9 (TS%); 21.0 (assist ratio); 11.7 (turnover ratio); 11.4 (rebound rate); 11.58 (PER).
Morrow vs. Williams: P40 (+2.9); TS% (+13.8); assist ratio (-9.9); turnover ratio (+2.8); rebound rate (-3.7); PER (+2.49).
Backup Point Guard
Jordan Farmar: 16.0 (P40); 53.5 (TS%); 16.9 (assist ratio); 9.6 (turnover ratio); 5.0 (rebound rate); 12.34 (PER).
Keyon Dooling: 15.0 (P40); 51.9 (TS%); 24.8 (assist ratio); 10.8 (turnover ratio); 3.2 (rebound rate); 11.6 (PER).
Farmar vs. Dooling: P40 (+1); TS% (+1.6); assist ratio (-7.9); turnover ratio (+1.2); rebound rate (+1.8); PER (+.74).
Backup Center
Johan Petro: 11.2 (P40); 55.3 (TS%); 9.5 (assist ratio); 15.6 (turnover ratio); 17.1 (rebound rate); 10.75 (PER).
Josh Boone: 9.7 (P40); 50.9 (TS%); 9.2 (assist ratio); 11.8 (turnover ratio); 17.4 (rebound rate); 13.74 (PER).
Petro vs. Boone: P40 (+1.5); TS% (+4.4); assist ratio (+.3); turnover ratio (-3.8); rebound rate (-.3); PER (-2.99).
