Gorgui Dieng

[Brooklyn_Wolves [enjin:14608167]]

How come this guy is #14 in the entire league in defensive RPM? #28 last season. He's the only wolves starter that actually has positive defensive +/-. Opponents eFG% is actually lower when he plays. He looks like Bill Russell compared to the rest of the starting 5 by the numbers and it's not even close.

[Camden [enjin:6601484]]

Advanced stats love Dieng. Never really understood why. They make him out to be way better than he is.

[Coolbreeze44]

Advanced stats love Dieng. Never really understood why. They make him out to be way better than he is.

Reading advanced stats is something anybody can do. Interpreting them is a little different.

[Camden [enjin:6601484]]

Advanced stats love Dieng. Never really understood why. They make him out to be way better than he is.

Reading advanced stats is something anybody can do. Interpreting them is a little different.

Fair point.

[Brooklyn_Wolves [enjin:14608167]]

Well, RPM loves his defense but hates his offense. But general fan observation would probably call for the opposite. But it's not just advanced stats. When Dieng plays we do better defensively: opponents score less points on worse eFG% and it happens 2 years in a row. But his teammates who start next to him each game show opposite results. It's not really starter vs bench. It looks like our defense tanks when Dieng sits down and the rest of the starters are on the floor without him.

[Q12543 [enjin:6621299]]

Advanced stats love Dieng. Never really understood why. They make him out to be way better than he is.

Not really....He's solid in PER and WS/48, but doesn't really stand out in either.

RPM is a different story and it rates him very high defensively, as BW mentions. RPM passes the sniff test with a lot of players, especially at the top end, but it also has occasional head-scratchers that are tough to reconcile with either one's own eyes or even other advanced stats.

I don't quite put Gorgui in the total head scratch-er category because there are some other defensive metrics that somewhat validate him being the best defender among our starting 5. But #14 in the entire league!? That doesn't seem quite right.

By the way, DRPM rates KAT as by far one of the worst bigs in the league defensively - even worse than Okafor - ugh! Perhaps it is overrating Gorgui some and being too harsh on KAT? Regardless, our starting 5 is one of the worst defenses in the league, so our guys are going to take a major hit. It's just that with RPM, it assigns the vast majority of the blame to KAT, Wiggins, and LaVine. Sigh.

[Brooklyn_Wolves [enjin:14608167]]

Last 2 seasons Dieng defense 109.5 & 108.6 KAT 114.3 & 111.1. Maybe RPM rates them just fine. And not like Dieng plays vs bench scrubs and KAT vs allstars all the time.

[Q12543 [enjin:6621299]]

Last 2 seasons Dieng defense 109.5 & 108.6 KAT 114.3 & 111.1. Maybe RPM rates them just fine. And not like Dieng plays vs bench scrubs and KAT vs allstars all the time.

Ugh, so frustrating. The depressing thing about those numbers is that they are both up from last year! We're getting worse people!

I hear what you are saying about the difference, I just question how that gap translates to such a big gap in DRPM. Let's also remember that KAT plays more minutes and actually does play more against the opposing team's best lineups. Dieng gets subbed out early for Bjelly, then comes back in usually when the other team is still very deep into its bench.

I think it is fair to say that Dieng is a more effective defensive player right now than KAT, but it's faint praise because ultimately defense is such an interdependent team function. There is plenty of blame to go around.....

[Lipoli390]

Last 2 seasons Dieng defense 109.5 & 108.6 KAT 114.3 & 111.1. Maybe RPM rates them just fine. And not like Dieng plays vs bench scrubs and KAT vs allstars all the time.

Ugh, so frustrating. The depressing thing about those numbers is that they are both up from last year! We're getting worse people!

I hear what you are saying about the difference, I just question how that gap translates to such a big gap in DRPM. Let's also remember that KAT plays more minutes and actually does play more against the opposing team's best lineups. Dieng gets subbed out early for Bjelly, then comes back in usually when the other team is still very deep into its bench.

I think it is fair to say that Dieng is a more effective defensive player right now than KAT, but it's faint praise because ultimately defense is such an interdependent team function. There is plenty of blame to go around.....

My eye test watching a lot of Wolves basketball in person so far this season confirms what the data suggest -- Gorgui is indeed our best defensive player among our starting five. I agree that's faint praise, but I have no doubt it's true. Based on my eye test, LaVine and Bazz both look better defensively than last season but I'm not sure the data support my view.

But we're splitting hairs comparing individual Wolves players to one another or to their performance last season. Bottom line is that this team is worse than last season defensively and offensively as this team. Not surprisingly, the Wolves are on pace to finish with a worse record than last season. All this with the same core players but more experienced and a deeper bench. Go figure. If Sam Mitchell were coaching now nearly everyone on this Board would be calling for his immediate termination. More time needed for the players to adjust to this new head coach I guess.

[BloopOracle]

would you guys say Aldrich is clearly better defensively though?