By Scott Lauer
Scott Lauer is the radio play-by-play voice of the Charlotte Hornets. His column will appear on hornets.com on Thursdays throughout the season. The opinions expressed here are his own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Hornets organization.
So what are the common denominators that winning teams possess? Naturally there are loads of variables, but there are three pillars that I believe are usually essential to support the standing of upper tier teams.
- Defensive Efficiency
- 3-point shooting
- Veterans
The numbers espouse that claim. Defensive efficiency is figured by determining how many points a team allows per 100 possessions. 3-point shooting percentage is an obvious and powerful statistic. The definition of “veterans” in my example, is a player 28 years or older. I’ll break down how many veterans each team has.
Let’s take a look at the strongest teams in the league. For the purpose of this exercise, we’ll take the top 14 teams in the league, featuring the eight playoff teams in the Western Conference, and the six teams with winning records in the Eastern Conference. We’ll compare their numbers in these three categories against those of the other 16 teams. Below is a list of all of the NBA teams (in no particular order, but are broken up by the “top” and “bottom” teams), and where they rank in DEFENSIVE EFFICIENCY and 3-POINT PERCENTAGE, plus how many VETERANS (players 28 or older) are on the roster.
*The top teams average seven veterans, while the bottom ones average only four. Of course teams like the Warriors and Thunder each have a pair of superstars who are not yet 28, but most teams can’t compensate for youth like they can. Out of the 16 bottom teams, only the Pacers and Heat have at least seven veterans. Young teams lose unless they have a pair of all-stars.
*When it comes to 3-point shooting, it’s so important not to dismiss what a mere threat from the arc can do for spacing purposes. Opening up the floor for others isn’t a measurable statistic. Teams armed with many shooters, score directly or make it easier for others. Now that the Thunder acquired DJ Augustin and Kyle Singler, the Grizzlies will prove to be the only elite team that shoots a below average percentage from the arc. Their addition of Jeff Green should boost them a bit however.
*The Warriors rank first in the two key categories; no surprise that they have the best record. The Hawks, Bucks and Spurs are the only two other teams that rank in the top seven in both defensive efficiency and 3-point percentage. Milwaukee however is so young, with only two players considered veterans by my definition. Conversely, the Spurs have more veterans than anyone in the league but the Mavs.
*The Warriors, Hawks, Spurs, and Blazers are the only four teams that rank in the top 10 in both categories and all have an ample number of veterans.
-Ultimately, this is a simple, yet irrefutably powerful template for constructing a winning roster. These are three of the most telling team figures that will dictate an organization’s success.
The Hornets have been a top-10 defensive team both years under Coach Clifford, and I think that’s the value of having a great coach; competitive defense. The balance will have to come with players at the other end of the floor, through acquiring more shooters. Charlotte took a good first step, acquiring Mo Williams near the trade deadline.