What is the Lenovo Stat?
The Lenovo Stat shows the power of teamwork. It's a way of showing the best-engineered/best combination of players on the court. The Lenovo Stat is a plus/minus statistic that looks at the point differential when players are both in and out of the game, to see how the team performs with various combinations. The Lenovo Stat can look at a variety of combinations – including the best two-player, three-player and even five-player combinations for each game.

Here is a look at the top Lenovo performers through the eighth week of the 2006-07 NBA season:

Five-Player Combination

+ 109
 E. Dampier, D. Nowitzki, J. Terry, J. Howard, D. Harris
+ 109
T. McGrady, R. Alston, S. Battier, Y. Ming, C. Hayes
+ 79
 S. Nash, S. Marion, R. Bell, A. Stoudemire, B. Diaw
+ 63
 B. Bowen, T. Duncan, F. Elson, M. Ginobili, T. Parker

The Mavs' quintet has caught up to the Rockets' top five as their number stayed stagnant at +109 with McGrady out of the lineup. Houston's number will stay steady for at least the next six weeks as Yao joins T-Mac on the bench as he recovers from a leg injury. Phoenix's five leapfrogged San Antonio for third place, but the Suns' hot streak of 15 straight wins finally came to an end against the Wizards..

Another point on the five-player combos to consider:

  • In the East, the Knicks have the top five-man team during away games with Stephon Marbury, Steve Francis, Quentin Richardson, Eddy Curry, and Channing Frye possibly indicating that veterans like Marbury and Francis can use their experience to teach younger teammates how to play on the road in tough environments.

    • Four-Player Combination

    + 144
    		 T. McGrady, R. Alston, S. Battier, Y. Ming
    + 140
    		 E. Dampier, D. Nowitzki, J. Terry, D. Harris
    + 135
    		 E. Dampier, J. Terry, J. Howard, D. Harris

    Dallas' four-man group is gaining on Houston just like its five-man contingent is. The Mavericks have won six straight and trail the Spurs by just a half game for the best record in the league. Their combo with Erick Dampier, Josh Howard, Jason Terry and Devin Harris is only five points lower than the same group with Dirk Nowitzki subbed for Howard.

    Another point on the four-player combos to consider:

  • DeShawn Stevenson is included in the top four man Washington Wizards team, along with Gilbert Arenas, Antawn Jamison and Caron Butler. The off-season signing of Stevenson is paying off for the Wizards as he has found his role on a team that has won eight of its last 12 games.

    • Three-Player Combination

    + 189
    		 B. Bowen, T. Duncan, T. Parker
    + 181
    		 R. Alston, S. Battier, Y. Ming
    + 163
    		 S. Nash, A. Stoudemire, S. Marion

    Steve Nash, Amare Stoudemire and Shawn Marion had a +20 week to grab the No. 3 spot for three-man combinations. San Antonio's triumvirate of Bruce Bowen, Tim Duncan and Tony Parker hold an eight-point edge over Houston, who are locked at +181 as long as Yao is out with his leg injury.

    Another point on the three-player combos to consider:

  • Allen Iverson, DerMarr Johnson and Reggie Evans racked up a +13 in their first game together. All eyes will be on Iverson to see how he handles his new team. If he can keep up the pace with Johnson and Evans, the Nuggets will be in good shape.

    • Two-Player Combination

    + 237
    		 T. Duncan, T. Parker
    + 224
    		 B. Bowen, T. Duncan
    + 193
    		S. Nash, S. Marion

    The top three duos remain the same this week as all three combos enjoyed weeks of +17 or more.

    Another point on the two-player combos to consider:

  • Corey Maggette is on two of the top three two-player groups for the Clippers. Maggette's name popped up in potential Iverson trades, but Los Angeles should be glad to hang onto him as he has become an integral part of their success.

    • One Player

    + 284
    		 T. Duncan
    + 208
    		 D. Harris
    + 206
    		 S. Nash

    Devin Harris averages 10.1 points, 0.7 rebounds and 7.5 assists less per game than Steve Nash, but holds a slight two-point Lenovo advantage. The reason? Harris plays 9.7 minutes less per game than Nash, and while Mr. MVP plays out the ebb and flow of every game for Phoenix, Harris has had positive results in the spurts when he plays that keep his Lenovo Stat climbing. Duncan remains on top.

    Another point on the top individuals to consider:

  • Peja Stojakovic leads the Hornets with +11. New Orleans/Oklahoma City clearly misses Stojakovic's contribution as it has gone 3-10 without him.