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"Jake Voskhul has lasted a long time in the NBA with only marginal talent. But his one gift is fouling." |
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This one is pretty straightforward and easy to explain. Per 36 Minutes averages project a player's stats over the typical per-game minutes of a typical NBA starter – 36 minutes. Some people like to use Per 40 Minutes averages, but when you consider that only three players averaged over 40 minutes per game last season (Allen Iverson, Joe Johnson and LeBron James), this seems like a pointless extrapolation. Per 36 averages are useful in comparing production between players who have slight differences in their minutes-per-game averages. I say "slight difference" because comparing a guy who plays 12 minutes per game to a guy who plays 38 minutes per game isn't really fair to the second guy – fatigue is obviously going to be a factor. Another thing I like about Per 36 averages is that it's a good way to analyze a given player's production over the course of his career –- from his rookie season when he may not have been a starter to the season when he might lead his team in minutes played. Looking at Chris Bosh's per 36 minute averages, you can see how he's progressed as an offensive force over his five seasons.
Note that while his points and assists have steadily grown, Bosh's rebounding production has remained stagnant. This is fairly typical because scoring and passing are "skills" that you can develop over time, while rebounding is more a result of effort, natural athleticism and innate ability -- though a few elite rebounders like Dennis Rodman and Dwight Howard have been exceptions by increasing their strength and mastering their rebound timing later in their careers. As for Bosh's steady growth in free throw attempts, that shows his increased courage in "taking it to the rack". It's interesting to note that the guy who finished just ahead of Bosh in points per 36 minutes last season was someone who many of you wanted Bryan Colangelo to acquire instead of Jermaine O’Neal –- and that's new Golden State Warrior Corey Maggette. |
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