The 2016-2017 NBA Lightweight Report

For a 6th season the NBA Lightweight Report returns to #TheNU! I’m entering my 4th ¹ season with ClipperBlog and I’ve been an NFL Media researcher since 2014 – my head’s been in the game and in the data, so I hope that puts your heart and mind at ease as we start the 2016-2017 NBA season.

This is the part of the show where we cover the departments – newcomers, welcome:

NBA previewing does not require as much science. The NFL schedule is a significant variable in a team’s success. Everyone plays everyone in the NBA, so the best teams win. Alas, there’s the caveat with the “team” parts of things. In the NFL, teams (and their coaching staffs) are pretty much set for the season. In the NBA, things change constantly: Stars get traded, injuries and transactions can completely remake a team, and coaches and even general managers can lose their job with as little as a bad 16-game streak. Nobody is safe in the NBA!

I’ve been doing more on camera for over a year now, so this playlist will be updated throughout the season:

Last season, I started marking up teams at the 16, 32, 48, 64, and 82-game check points. Here are this year’s five key dates to reassess where teams are at different points in the season:

• START (November 29)
• OLD YEAR (December 31)
• ALL-STAR BREAK/MIDSEASON (February 1)
• POST-TRADE DEADLINE (March 11)
• END  (April 12)

Here is the explainer for the semi-subjective grades that you will see below:

For offense, I use “perimeter offense”, “interior offense”, and “control”:

Perimeter offense is heavily influenced by perimeter personnel’s ability to drive, draw fouls, and score, as well as the depth and effectiveness of all distance shooters.

Interior offense is reserved for post personnel scoring and offensive rebounding.

Control refers to the ability of a team’s collective passing and ability to limit turnovers, not limited to just point guard play.

For defense, I use “pressure”, “interior defense”, and “perimeter defense”.

Pressure is the team’s ability to force steals and other turnovers.

Interior defense refers to the ability of a team’s ability to not only block shots and rebound, but to contain effective bigs before the shot while protecting the rim without fouling.

Perimeter defense refers to the ability of a team to defend shooters and penetrators consistently, not simply in the act of gambling.

As introduced in last year’s Lightweight Report: “basketball special teams”, highly influenced by football special teams. I feel it is a good way to evaluate free throw shooting, which is NOT the ability to draw fouls but simply the ability to make free throws (kicking game), fast break (return units), transition defense (coverage), pace (tempo), and depth (personnel). Just like special teams is a factor in football, but not to the level of the offense and defense, special teams in basketball is a factor even though it is not as critical as half-court effectiveness on both ends.

I don’t grade coaching and intangibles, but they figure into any head-to-head evaluation.

Check the standings for each team’s “lightweight report” and follow me @LawMurrayTheNU – it’ll be a fun year:

Click here to check out the NBA 2016 Summer Moves: Eastern Conference

2016-2017 Atlantic Division

BOSTON (1st East)
TORONTO (3rd East)
NEW YORK (10th East)
BROOKLYN (14th East)
PHILADELPHIA (15th East)

2016-2017 Central Division

CLEVELAND (2nd East)
INDIANA (6th East)
CHICAGO (9th East)
DETROIT (12th East)
MILWAUKEE (13th East)

2016-2017 Southeast Division

ATLANTA (4th East)
WASHINGTON (5th East)
CHARLOTTE (7th East)
ORLANDO (8th East)
MIAMI (11th East)

2016-2017 EASTERN QUARTERFINALS: BOS over ORL, CLE over CHA, TOR over IND, WAS over ATL | 2016-2017 EASTERN SEMIFINALS: BOS over WAS | CLE over TOR | 2016-2017 EASTERN FINALS: CLE over BOS

Click here to check out the NBA 2016 Summer Moves: Western Conference

2016-2017 Northwest Division

OKLAHOMA CITY (4th West)
PORTLAND (5th West)
UTAH (7th West)
MINNESOTA (8th West)
DENVER (10th West)

2016-2017 Pacific Division

GOLDEN STATE (2nd West)
LA (3rd West)
SACRAMENTO (9th West)
PHOENIX (14th West)
LOS ANGELES (15th West)

2016-2017 Southwest Division

SAN ANTONIO (1st West)
MEMPHIS (6th West)
HOUSTON (11th West)
DALLAS (12th West)
NEW ORLEANS (13th West)

2016-2017 WESTERN QUARTERFINALS: SA over MIN, GS over UTA, LAC over MEM, POR over OKC | 2016-2017 WESTERN SEMIFINALS: SA over POR | GS over LAC | 2016-2017 WESTERN FINALS: GS over SA

DPOY – Warriors PF Draymond Green
MIP – Jazz SG Rodney Hood
COY – Celtics HC Brad Stevens
6MOY – Thunder C Enes Kanter
ROY – Lakers SF Brandon Ingram
MVP – Spurs SF Kawhi Leonard

WARRIORS over CAVALIERS