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[Skooby]

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/stor...durant-january-scoring-spree-best-nba-history

Kevin Durant's historic streak
Kevin Durant did it again.

On Monday, Durant dropped 41 points on 15-of-25 shooting against the Atlanta Hawks, including the game-winning jumper with 1.4 seconds remaining scored over seemingly the entire Hawks lineup. The performance extended Durant's streak of scoring 30-plus points to 11 consecutive games, the longest in the NBA since Tracy McGrady's 14-game streak in the 2002-03 season.

Simply looking at Durant's scoring totals, however, might not do him justice. Factoring in the context -- Durant's Oklahoma City Thunder team has gone 8-3 during the streak despite playing without star guard Russell Westbrook and facing several of the West's best teams -- and his impressive efficiency to go with his prodigious output, Durant is in the midst of the best scoring spree in modern NBA history.

Durant compared to other streaks

According to Basketball-Reference.com's streak finder, Durant's is the 21st streak of at least 10 30-point games in a row since 1963-64, the first year for which game-by-game scoring is available. Fifteen players account for those 21 streaks, with Nate "Tiny" Archibald (two times), Kobe Bryant (two), Wilt Chamberlain (three times) and Michael Jordan (three) doing so multiple times.

Full game-by-game player stats date back to 1985-86, so let's take a closer look at the 10 streaks since then:


30-point streaks since 1985-86
PlayerDatesGPPGP36eFG%TS%
Kevin DurantJan. 7-27, 20141138.534.8.606.680
Shaquille O'NealMarch 28-April 17, 20011133.732.1.579.625
LeBron JamesMarch 22-April 10, 20061037.931.0.568.620
Michael JordanDec. 25, 1990-Jan. 14, 19911035.133.1.561.619
Michael JordanFeb. 13-March 4, 19871140.637.3.510.609
Tracy McGradyMarch 5-April 1, 20031437.434.3.558.607
Karl MaloneApril 11-Nov. 9, 19881036.630.6.552.600
Kobe BryantJan. 29-Feb. 28, 20031640.434.7.514.584
Kobe BryantDec. 7-26, 20121034.428.8.515.570
Michael JordanNov. 26-Dec. 12, 19861041.135.1.477.549

While Durant's scoring average of 38.5 points over the past 11 games is only slightly better than the average among 30-point streaks in this span, his playing time (39.7 minutes per game) is relatively low, so on a per-36 minute basis he ranks third in points behind two of Michael Jordan's streaks.

Durant really shines when we change the lens to efficiency. During the streak, he has made almost 60 percent of his 2-point attempts in addition 41.7 percent of his 3s and more than 10 free throws a night at an 87.5 percent clip. As a result, he leads the group in effective field goal percentage (which accounts for the additional value of 3-pointers) and has an enormous lead over any other streaker in true shooting percentage (which incorporates free throws).

The difference between Durant's .680 true shooting percentage and the next most efficient scorer in the group, Shaquille O'Neal during the 2000-01 season, is as large as O'Neal's advantage over the second-least efficient scorer, Bryant from last season.

Put another way, Durant has managed to average 38.5 points during the streak while using just 28.3 shooting possessions (shot attempts or trips to the free throw line). That's tied for the second-lowest mark among the 10 players with Jordan's 1990-91 streak (35.1 points per game), behind O'Neal (33.7 PPG on 27.0 shooting possessions).

So in terms of efficiency and production, nobody can top Durant's streak in nearly three decades.

More possessions, better efficiency

Since Westbrook's injury, Durant has defied the usual tradeoff between usage and efficiency. Without his All-Star teammate, Durant has been called on to create more of his own offense. He has been responsible for 35 percent of the Thunder's plays, up from slightly less than 30 percent with Westbrook in the lineup, and has been assisted on just 31.4 percent of his made field goals after getting set up 45 percent of the time beforehand.

Yet Durant's efficiency has improbably improved. With Westbrook in the lineup, Durant's true shooting percentage was .628. Since the injury, it has jumped to .668 -- and even better than that during the 30-point streak.

In part, this reflects Durant's unique ability to create good shots for himself. Because of his size and wingspan, Durant can get a clean look at the basket even with a defender right in front of him. So it's not surprising that he could remain efficient at higher levels of usage than anyone else in the league (nobody in the NBA is using more than 33 percent of their team's possessions over the full season).

Dean Oliver of ESPN Stats & Information, who did pioneering work on "skill curves" that reflect the relationship between usage and efficiency for individuals in his book "Basketball on Paper," recently compiled updated versions for today's biggest stars. Oliver's skill curves show Durant as capable of shouldering a heavier load than any of them while scoring at a reasonable level of efficiency.

However, we have to look no further than last season's playoffs to see how opponents can slow Oklahoma City -- if not necessarily Durant himself -- when he doesn't have another go-to scorer alongside him. Durant has learned from that experience, and focused on generating as many high-efficiency shots as possible in Westbrook's absence. As Kirk Goldsberry noted last week, Durant is attempting more 3s without sacrificing shots in the paint or trips to the free throw line, making him a more efficient scorer and the Thunder a better team than the one that lost to the Memphis Grizzlies in five games last May.

A possibly historic month

While we've focused on scoring, Durant hasn't shirked other responsibilities (He's averaging 6.1 assists per game in January, taking advantage of the additional defensive attention on him). So with tonight's game against the Miami Heat and one more Friday in Brooklyn remaining in January, Durant has a chance at the best PER in a month by any player in the NBA StatsCube database (dating back to 1997-98).

As Per Diem colleague Tom Haberstroh detailed in this week's edition of "The Big Number," Durant's 36.8 PER this month ranks second in that span to the 37.2 posted by MVP LeBron James last February. As his opponent tonight, James will have some say in whether Durant can surpass him. But the way he's going right now, it's possible nobody, not even James, can slow down Durant.

 

[Jplaya2023]

http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/stor...ebating-2014-hall-fame-candidates-credentials

 

[Skooby]

http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/stor...ebating-2014-hall-fame-candidates-credentials

HOF candidates who don't stack up

This Saturday, 15 players (along with one owner and a head coach) will be finalist nominees in the Pro Football Hall of Fame voting process. A player has to have produced a very distinguished career to last until the finalist round, so all of these candidates had careers that were among the finest in league history.

But, as strong as every player's case is at this point, the unfortunate truth is that some individual achievement lists aren't as notable as others and, in some cases, might actually serve to lower the current median accomplishment bar for induction into Canton.

Using that mindset as a guide, there are four players whose résumés don't quite hold up as well as others. These players could end up being on the list of candidates who missed being inducted by the smallest possible margin but for whom acceptance would lower the bar for admission.

These four are:

Kevin Greene, linebacker/defensive end

1985-1992 Los Angeles Rams
1993-1995 Pittsburgh Steelers
1996, 1998-1999 Carolina Panthers
1997 San Francisco 49ers

Career highlights (courtesy ESPN Stats & Information): 160 sacks (third most in NFL history), led league in sacks in 1994 and 1996, 5-time Pro Bowl selection, 3-time first-team All-Pro selection, member of NFL All-Decade team of the 1990s.

One of the major issues for Greene is that, generally speaking, the Hall of Fame voters tend to avoid inducting two players from the same position in a single class. Greene's career highlights are impressive, but they pale in comparison with those of Derrick Brooks (11-time Pro Bowler, 6-time All-Pro, 2002 NFL Defensive Player of the Year, selected to NFL's All-Decade Team of 2000s).

Greene also could be in competition for linebacker/defensive end HOF honors with Charles Haley (more on him below); Haley had a similar path in that he started his career as a linebacker, then made the switch to defensive end. Getting picked for five Pro Bowls in a 15-year career also implies that Greene wasn't considered one of the upper-tier players in the NFL for two-thirds of his career.


Charles Haley, defensive end/linebacker

1986-1991, 1999 San Francisco 49ers
1992-1996 Dallas Cowboys

Career highlights (courtesy ESPN Stats & Info): Only player in NFL history to play on five winning Super Bowl teams (SBs XXIII, XXIV, XXVII, XXVIII, XXX), finished career with 100.5 sacks, twice named NFC Defensive Player of the Year (1990, 1994), 5-time Pro Bowler, 2-time All-Pro

Haley has the aforementioned issues of having to compete with Brooks and Greene for linebacker and linebacker/defensive end votes. He also has the similar issue of making it to only five Pro Bowls in 12 career seasons. Only three current Hall of Fame linebackers (Harry Carson, Les Richter and Andre Tippett) had two career All-Pro selections (none has fewer), so Haley's induction actually would serve to lower the average bar in this category.

Haley's five Super Bowl rings are notable, but are they really more notable than the résumé posted by former Steelers DE L.C. Greenwood, who had four Super Bowl rings, six total All-Pro picks (two consensus), six Pro Bowls and membership on the 1970s All-Decade team? Greenwood was a six-time Hall of Fame finalist who has yet to receive induction, and the parallels between him and Haley might not bode well for Haley's induction chances.


Andre Reed, wide receiver

1985-1999 Buffalo Bills
2000 Washington Redskins

Career highlights (courtesy ESPN Stats & Info): Holds Bills records for receptions, receiving yards, receiving touchdowns and 100-yard receiving games; his 13 seasons with 50-plus receptions was exceeded only by Jerry Rice at the time of Reed's retirement, 7-time Pro Bowl selection


Reed might have matched Jerry Rice in the area of seasons with 50 or more receptions at the end of the 2000 season, but he ended his career with only five seasons of 70 or more receptions. Rice had a total of 11 of those at the end of the 2000 season, and he added two more after that (2001 and 2002). Reed's top receiving touchdown campaign (10 in 1991) would rank tied for ninth on Rice's career list. They might share some achievements, depending on where the bar is placed, but the truth of the matter is Rice and Reed really aren't close to equals.

Not being able to hold up to Rice is a negative that can be applied to every wide receiver in NFL history, so this alone wouldn't keep Reed out of Canton. What could be significant hindrances are his zero All-Pro nominations (he would be the first wideout to enter Canton with a goose egg here) and the fact that he keeps falling further down the career receptions leader list. Since his retirement, many pass-catchers have passed Reed in this category, including Tony Gonzalez, Marvin Harrison (who is also among the finalist list candidates), Tim Brown (also a finalist), Isaac Bruce, Reggie Wayne, Hines Ward and Randy Moss. In addition, there are six active players who are within 116 career receptions of passing Reed on this list (Andre Johnson, Jason Witten, Anquan Boldin, Larry Fitzgerald, Wes Welker and Steve Smith).

Like the two defenders mentioned above, Reed also suffers from the idea of voters generally placing one player per position (at most) into Canton each year. His numbers are not quite as good as Brown's or Harrison's, and thus he is the most likely of the three to be kept off of the induction list.


John Lynch, safety

1993-2003 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2004-2007 Denver Broncos

Career highlights (courtesy ESPN Stats & Info): 9-time Pro Bowl selection, three straight first-team All-Pro selections (1999-2001), 26 career interceptions

It's hard to hold Lynch's 26 career interceptions against him, as most of the defensive backs in the Hall of Fame are cornerbacks, but that total would be the lowest pick total of any defensive back in Canton.

Only four of the 23 DBs in the Hall have three or fewer All-Pro nominations, so Lynch would also be a big step back in this area. Having to share the defensive back nomination field with Aeneas Williams, who more than doubled Lynch's interception total (55), had a huge lead in interception return touchdowns (nine for Williams, zero for Lynch), equaled his All-Pro total (3) and tallied nearly as many Pro Bowls (8) could end up splitting the defensive back vote to an extent that neither player makes it. However, Williams' superior interception and pick-six figures likely would give him the edge were the voters to pick only one out of these two.

 

[Jplaya2023]

http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/playoffs/2013/story/_/id/10388046/offseason-needs-denver-broncos-nfl

 

[Skooby]

http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/playoffs/2013/story/_/id/10388046/offseason-needs-denver-broncos-nfl

Offseason needs for Denver
A sensational season ended just shy of the ultimate goal for the Denver Broncos. But with Peyton Manning under center, there's every reason to believe the Broncos can be back in the Super Bowl in 2014. But first they have a little work to do in the offseason.

There's not a singular way to build a Super Bowl contender, but every championship team has had its share of shrewd free-agent signings, impressive draft picks and development of in-house talent.

In the case of the Broncos, the foundation was laid through each of those avenues prior to the 2012 offseason, when the most critical transaction came to fruition.

It was at that point the Broncos landed arguably the most sought-after free agent in NFL history by inking Manning to a five-year deal that immediately catapulted the team from a .500 club (albeit one that still won its division) to a Super Bowl contender.

But to examine the Broncos' success and suppose it was the byproduct solely of Manning is shortsighted, of course. The roster around him is perhaps as strong as any he has played on during his majestic NFL career, and the Broncos' ability to ensure that roster stays largely intact will be paramount to how the rest of Manning's career plays out.

With a young nucleus of talent -- something the Broncos have -- comes a list of ascending players looking for pay raises. It also leads to difficult decisions on players either entering contract years or playing under lucrative deals.

As the 2014 offseason begins (yes, it already has), here's a snapshot of three positional needs for the Broncos.

Cornerback: Top performer Chris Harris tore his ACL in a divisional-round playoff win, meaning his status for the start of the 2014 season remains unknown at this time. The Broncos are unlikely to lose Harris, a restricted free agent, but this remains a position the team must address. Champ Bailey has slowed as age has caught up to him and veteran Quentin Jammer simply didn't perform at a high enough level as his role increased down the stretch last season.

Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, who is also a free agent, made headlines last week in suggesting that he may retire if the team won the Super Bowl, though he later backpedaled on those remarks. Nonetheless, he's an unrestricted free agent who played well at a premium position. He's due for a payday, be it in Denver or elsewhere, after betting on himself with a one-year deal last offseason. He's likely to seek long-term security this offseason.

Wide receiver: It sounds a little crazy to suggest that the greatest offense (at least in terms of points scored) in NFL history would need to consider adding a wide receiver, but consider this: Eric Decker is a free agent, while both Wes Welker and Demaryius Thomas have contracts that run only through next season. Finding the cap space to accommodate extensions for some of Denver's core will be a chore for football operations czar John Elway, but Thomas figures to be near the top of the list. That being said, the team will need to make sure it has the depth behind Thomas to continue to play at its high-octane level. Manning has made a career of catapulting the careers of lesser-known wide receivers, but just as Denver made the right choice in investing in pivotal wideouts to build this offense through it's current group, it needs to continue to do so going forward.

Inside linebacker: While it may have seemed unlikely before the season, Danny Trevathan evolved into a rock-solid performer, leading the team during the regular season with 128 tackles and snagging a notable interception to turn the tide of a regular-season contest against the Cowboys. He played alongside fellow Kentucky alum Wesley Woodyard, who is now a free agent. Beyond Woodyard, next on the Broncos' depth chart was veteran Paris Lenon, who is similarly a free agent. Re-signing Woodyard would largely alleviate the need to shore up this position, though the team could also address the spot through the draft. Elway landed Trevathan in the sixth round in 2012; he'd be wise to add depth to play either behind or alongside Trevathan in this May's draft.

 

[Jplaya2023]

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/stor...conventional-wisdom-eight-interesting-numbers

 

[Skooby]

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/stor...conventional-wisdom-eight-interesting-numbers

Warriors prolific scorers or not?

With the All-Star Game and the trade deadline around the corner, it's appraisal time in the NBA.

Front offices and fan bases alike are taking inventory of the league, taking stock of the players' and teams' strengths and weaknesses, trying to get a grip on where improvements need to be made. But, as happens in most walks of life, reputations lag behind reality. Conventional wisdom often might not prove to be wisdom at all.

Where's the disconnect? Here are eight surprising statistics that buck the conventional wisdom.

The conventional wisdom: Golden State is an offense-first team.
The unconventional stat: 16th in pace-adjusted offense, fourth in pace-adjusted defense.

Stephen Curry. Klay Thompson. David Lee. With that high-scoring trio, the Warriors have to be one of the most potent offenses in the league, right? Not under Mark Jackson. The Warriors appear to be a high-octane offense because they churn out 99 possessions per game (fifth-highest in the league). But it's mostly fool's gold. Once we control for their tempo, they're actually worse than league average on that end of the floor.

The Warriors should be better at putting the ball in the basket, but they've rolled to a 29-20 record on the back of their defense, which ranks in the top five in fewest points allowed per possession. Andre Iguodala and Andrew Bogut have made this team a surprisingly stingy squad, but Golden State isn't going anywhere with Harrison Barnes and Jordan Crawford delivering sub-10 PERs like they are.

The conventional wisdom: Evan Turner is having a breakout season.
The unconventional stat: 13.6 PER

Turner's fourth season in the NBA is a classic case of pace inflation. He's averaging 17.8 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.8 assists, stats that, to the naked eye, seem to fuel the notion that he finally has figured out the NBA game. But the 76ers' style of play has more to do with his big numbers than vastly improved skill.

The 76ers crank out 102.3 possessions per-game -- three more than the next-speediest team and about six more than average. This means more shots for Turner and more opportunities to drive up his points per game. For possible suitors at the trade deadline, Turner's below-average 13.6 PER is a more honest appraisal of his abilities than his glossy traditional stats. Don't buy into the hype.

The conventional wisdom: Blake Griffin is a bad defender.
The unconventional stat: 71st percentile in pick-and-roll defense.

For too many observers, assessing a big man's defense comes down to a singular question: "How many blocks per game does he have?" That measuring stick has never been kind to short-armed Griffin, who has just 0.6 blocks per game this season. But even for the best swatters, a blocked shot explains only a couple of stops over the course of a 95-possession game. What about the other 93?

Enter the pick-and-roll defense. Among the gallery of Synergy statistics, Griffin shines in their measure of perhaps the most important defensive skill for a big man in today's NBA. Griffin has allowed just 142 points on 202 plays that ended with the ball going to the big in a pick-and-roll. That's 0.7 points per play, a rating that ranks among the top half of big men in the league. Couple that with the versatility that allows Doc Rivers to put Griffin on LeBron James, as he did Wednesday night, and you have yourself a far more useful defender than his reputation suggests.

The conventional wisdom: Anthony Davis is an elite rim protector.
The unconventional stat: 60.4 percent opponent field goal percentage at the rim.

Undeniably, "The Brow" has taken his game to the next level in his sophomore season with a top-five PER (26.7) and a league-leading 132 blocked shots. Among NBA players, he is a revelation. But for some viewers, this might be a revelation, as well: Opponents shoot better at the rim when he's on the floor than when he's on the bench.

Pulling up the NBA's StatsCube database, we find that the Pelicans allow 60.4 percent shooting in the restricted area with Davis on the floor. With him on the bench? That drops to 57.1 percent. Although that's not all on Davis, he still has some work to do if he wants to approach the level of elite paint landlords such as Kevin Garnettand Tim Duncan. And Davis has all the time in the world to do that. He is just 20 years old and well on his way, but he could use some help.

The conventional wisdom: LaMarcus Aldridge is a world-class scorer.
The unconventional stat: Below-average 51.5 true shooting percentage.

We'd like to think the basketball audience has become more nuanced in the past 50 years than just blindly trusting points per game. But the buzz surrounding Aldridge's season suggests we have a ways to go. The truth is that his gaudy scoring average of 24.1 points per game overstates his scoring prowess.

Although we don't typically think of big men as high-volume shooters, Aldridge is more Allen Iverson than he is Tim Duncan. He leads the league in field goal attempts (he has 42 more than Kevin Durant in 89 fewer minutes), and his 51.5 percent true shooting percentage -- a shooting efficiency metric that incorporates 3-point shooting and free throws -- ranks 138th among those qualified for the scoring title. Again: 138th. Bottom line: Aldridge is an elite shot-taker, not shot-maker.

The conventional wisdom: Lance Stephenson is an All-Star snub.
The unconventional stat: Sub-20 PER in triple-double games.

For casual viewers, leaving Stephenson off the All-Star ballot might seem like a crime. I mean, look at all of those triple-doubles! We've been conditioned to believe that triple-doubles are badges of outstanding play. But is that really the case? Is tallying 12 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists (Stephenson's outing against Boston on Dec. 22) automatically a better performance than, say, LeBron James' game when he put up 30 points on 13-for-17 shooting, 9 rebounds and 9 assists against Utah on Dec. 16? Of course not. Triple-doubles might be tidy, but they're not especially telling.

If you still think Stephenson should get the New Orleans nod because of his propensity to tally triple-doubles, consider this: Stephenson's PER in triple-double games is 19.6, lower than fellow All-Star snub Kyle Lowry's PER in all games (20.0). So, at Stephenson's supposed statistical best, he doesn't measure up to Lowry's productivity on an average night. If there's someone who deserves to sneak into the All-Star festivities, it's Lowry, the East's best point guard, not Stephenson, who is having a good but not great season.

 

[Skooby]

The conventional wisdom: J.J. Hickson is a top-notch rebounder.
The unconventional stat: His teams rebound better with him off the floor.

When the Nuggets signed Hickson for the midlevel exception this summer, Denver general manager Tim Connelly billed the big man as "a relentless rebounder" in the team's news release. Based on traditional statistics, that might be the case; he averaged 12.8 rebounds per 36 minutes last season and has 12.1 boards per 36 minutes this season. By this measure, he's one of the five best rebounders in the game.

But a funny thing happens when Hickson goes to the bench: His teams actually do better on the boards. This season, the Nuggets collect 50.6 percent of available rebounds when he's on the floor, but that rises to 51.5 percent when he's on the bench, according to NBA.com. Last season in Portland, same thing: The Blazers actually rebounded a hair better with him on the bench. That shouldn't happen with a player of his reputation. So, is Hickson a relentless rebounder or a relentless rebound thief? Take heed, potential trade partners.


The conventional wisdom: The Heat are better with small ball.
The unconventional stat: Plus-17.6.

Remember when the Heat reinvented themselves by going "small" and deploying Chris Bosh at the 5? That's so 2013. Erik Spoelstra, ever eager to push the envelope, has tasked Bosh with stretching his range beyond the 3-point line to open the door for "big" lineups with Chris Andersen and Greg Oden. And it's working. We've seen the Bosh-Birdman duo play about 10 minutes per game this season, and the formation has blown out opponents by 17.6 points per 100 possessions, according to NBA.com.

That's far more fruitful than the team's plus-6.7 differential overall. It's early, but Spoelstra also should like what he sees from Oden next to Bosh so far; the Heat have outscored opponents 91-79 with that duo on the floor in 39 minutes of action. Given Indiana's rise, the Heat might be thinking this more and more as we approach the postseason -- go big or go home.

 

[Frump]

http://insider.espn.go.com/college-...0376612/uncommitted-college-football-recruits

 

[Skooby]

http://insider.espn.go.com/college-...0376612/uncommitted-college-football-recruits

http://share.pdfonline.com/2014/2/8/66f56479ea43456480e7644de4d2b5de/Class of 2015.pdf

 

[jaguar paw]

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/stor...land-cavaliers-anthony-bennett-star-potential

@Skooby

Help me out breh

 

[GoldenGlove]

It would be dope if the NBA related Insider Articles were posted in the stickied NBA thread

 

[Skooby]

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/stor...land-cavaliers-anthony-bennett-star-potential

@Skooby

Help me out breh

Don't give up on Anthony Bennett
"Bust." "Fat." "Tweener." "Not ready." These words have all been used to describe the top pick in the 2013 NBA draft. And with good reason -- he has been all of those things this season.

But those labels are likely only applicable for the short term. Because Bennett stands in a long line of young players who appeared to be short of the talent that the hype machine bestowed on them but eventually succeeded -- many of whom became All-Stars.

Remember when Dirk Nowitzki was too soft to be an elite player and his lack of a post game would keep Dallas from ever winning a title? Or when Steph Curry was just a shooter who could never be a point guard in this league? Or when Joakim Noah didn't have a game that could work in the pros?

Even LeBron James, the world's best player and now a two-time champ, had to break through one obstacle after another before truly claiming his throne.

If Bennett does not get distracted by failure and instead uses it as motivation to get better, he too has the potential to one day hear his name announced to the whole world at the beginning of an All-Star Game. While it's true that none of those players I mentioned were No. 1 picks (except LeBron) or as bad as Bennett was to start his rookie season, their breakthroughs are emblematic of what happens when off-court commentary is short-sighted. Young guys almost always get better as they mature as men and basketball players.

The key for Bennett is to have a plan, then start building a foundation one process at a time, with the help of his franchise.


Goal No. 1: Get in great shape

Starting right now, Bennett can significantly transform his body by the end of the season. Then he can use that as a springboard to get even slimmer in the offseason. It looks as though he can lose 30-60 pounds in the next six months, and that new body would unlock an incredible set of talents. From Udonis Haslem to Kevin Love and all sorts of players in between, there have been many forwards who looked completely different in college than during most of their NBA careers.

The best part for Bennett is that he has the type of body that should continue to exhibit power and force despite a significant loss of weight. The impact that new physique would have in the rebounding and transition game alone would be huge combined with his soft hands and quick feet. Being able to play faster and in longer stretches of faster play would help him impact the game without any other improved skill.

One of the basic NBA principles in rebounding is "the first man to the ball wins" because of the overall strength of the men playing this sport. It is not the same at any other level of play, though, where the first person to the ball can often be overpowered by a stronger player. So a sleeker (and still strong) version of Bennett can arrive at the ball faster and allow his long arms and soft hands to do the rest.

A Bennett who can race the length of the floor possession after possession would be a handful to defend, as well. Post defense is at its weakest in transition, and Bennett's build -- those massive shoulders especially -- could provide real problems for defenders who don't have help when they deny him the post. Men his size, after getting an interior pass in transition, often can simply turn and score at the rim, or use a fake to draw a foul and sometimes still get the basket.

According to Synergy Sports, Bennett has just 34 points in transition and on offensive putbacks combined. By comparison, Blake Griffin, likely the fastest and most powerful power forward in the game, has 308 points on those plays. Bennett might not ever be as fast and powerful as Griffin, but trying to get to that level will benefit him greatly even if he falls short.


Goal No. 2: Play athletically and energetically

This goes hand in hand with the first goal, naturally, but it needs to be said that just losing weight and increasing endurance is not a guarantee that Bennett will "out-athlete" anyone. Mentally, he has to get there, as well. Players who were once large or heavy (or both) have to learn how to use their new body just like someone who develops a new post move needs to learn how and when to try it. Once Bennett is physically capable of running faster, jumping higher and playing harder for longer stretches, he will still play as if he does not have those new tools on many possessions.

Studying game tape and identifying those missed chances at playmaking, due to inactivity, can help him avoid making those mistakes in the future. He'll also learn that the same balls he could not get to when he was heavier are now in play. Players who go after loose balls (which includes nearly every rebound in a game) time and again will get their fair share, both on the ground or in the air. The goal is to turn 20-80 balls into 50-50 ones, and 50-50 balls into 80-20 ones.

Bennett looks as though he can be an explosive athlete once he transforms his body. Learning to finish explosively takes time, as well, but it pays huge rewards. He has finished less than 43 percent of his shots at the rim this season, a number that can't help but improve immensely if he could utilize a newfound athleticism at the rim.


Goal No. 3: Embrace the paint first

Watching Bennett shoot the ball during pregame warm-ups reveals one clear truth -- he has a chance to be a special shooter. He has very nice form, uses good arc and has a soft touch overall. Cleveland, as a franchise, has every reason to believe he will be a serious perimeter threat with 3-point range. But that does not mean he should be camped out behind the 3-point line for much of the game. It's one thing for a young guard who lacks driving skills to stick to the 3-point line, it's another thing for a huge power forward to do so.

ROOKIE 50 RANKINGS
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Kevin Love, now considered the best shooter/rebounder in the league (and in NBA history), took all of 19 3s his rookie season. Bennett has already attempted 37 3-pointers and 80 shots total from beyond 15 feet, while taking just 69 shots inside of 15 feet (56 shots at the rim). That is the biggest reason why he has only 44 free throw attempts.

To build himself into the most potent offensive force possible, Bennett would be wise to begin and end most possessions inside. He has the size and skill to be more of a factor there, and with a new body, he'd be even more effective. Demanding space next to the rim and commanding the area around him with his arms and body would put defenses at a disadvantage. Defenders at a disadvantage, it should be noted, frequently foul. It's a mental error -- and a coaching error -- for Bennett to float so often to the outside.

Once Bennett can become a scoring and offensive rebounding machine inside, he'll demand so much attention from defenses that moving to the perimeter will be a natural extension to his game. While only being able to dominate the paint can be rewarding, as we see from Griffin, Bennett's natural shooting talent suggests he can be more like Love. Just being a perimeter threat, though, makes him more like Love's teammate Dante Cunningham, who is a nice role player -- but that isn't what the Cavs want or need from their top pick.

A slimmer, faster, bouncier Bennett who races to the rim possession after possession, pounding defenders with his body and using his long arms and good hands to make interior catches, can be a devastating force. Living in the paint will produce far more offensive rebounds, as well, a part of the game Bennett projects to be dominant in if he does as he should.

 

[Skooby]

A new Bennett

Players as talented as Bennett, such as Lamar Odom and Rasheed Wallace, can get lost in their variety of skills. The best NBA players, though, become elite at one thing, then add to their game year by year or month by month. For Bennett, though, it's his day-by-day development that can spell success this season:

Making wise eating choices. Getting extra cardio work in on off days. Studying game film to see where he can make more rim runs or be more explosive. And choosing to make an impact in the paint each night while not even trying to be a perimeter player.

If he focuses on those kinds of small details each day, it will help him become more of a factor in games. He had a small dose of success recently and should see increased playing time as the Cavs likely fall out of the playoff picture and prepare for the draft. Bennett should be encouraged to make progress daily, rather than hope to suddenly wake up as a great player. Forget about any rookie awards at season's end; Bennett needs to work toward just being a solid rotation guy now.

If he can finish the season strong, he'll have something to build on this offseason, when he'll have months to prepare for his first summer league (he missed the one last July because of injury). And that is where the new Bennett can make his debut.

A new Bennett can be a terrific player who impacts the game all over the court, one who can be a top player on a good team. To get there, though, will require a level of dedication and work we have yet to see from Bennett. It is a mistake to wonder whether or not he can get there, but it remains fair to ask if he will get there. Only a Bennett fully invested in outworking people can make that question go away.

 

[Skooby]

It would be dope if the NBA related Insider Articles were posted in the stickied NBA thread

Just post a link in that thread to what article you want to see.