Comments on: Assigning credit to Team USA http://arbitrarian.wordpress.com/2008/07/28/assigning-credit-to-team-usa/ Anything but arbitrary. Tue, 23 Jun 2009 01:22:44 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: david friedman http://arbitrarian.wordpress.com/2008/07/28/assigning-credit-to-team-usa/#comment-424 david friedman Thu, 07 Aug 2008 23:25:55 +0000 http://arbitrarian.wordpress.com/?p=211#comment-424 The reason for the discrepancy regarding Kobe and DWill's stats is that in the Turkey game Kobe scored nine points--which you can verify by consulting the play by play sheet--but was only officially credited with seven points in the boxscore. DWill scored four points but officially he was credited with six points. The official Team USA stats reflect the incorrect info, so Kobe is listed as scoring 67 points instead of 69, while Dwill is credited with 32 points instead of 30. I realize that this slight glitch will not alter your ratings that much but this is an example--along with the charting I did of Chris Paul's scorekeeper-inflated assist totals in last year's playoffs--of how numbers only give an incomplete picture of what happens on the court. The human eye may miss things but numbers do not capture everything either and sometimes the numbers don't even capture such basic truths as who actually scored and who delivered the pass that led directly to a basket. The reason for the discrepancy regarding Kobe and DWill’s stats is that in the Turkey game Kobe scored nine points–which you can verify by consulting the play by play sheet–but was only officially credited with seven points in the boxscore. DWill scored four points but officially he was credited with six points. The official Team USA stats reflect the incorrect info, so Kobe is listed as scoring 67 points instead of 69, while Dwill is credited with 32 points instead of 30.

I realize that this slight glitch will not alter your ratings that much but this is an example–along with the charting I did of Chris Paul’s scorekeeper-inflated assist totals in last year’s playoffs–of how numbers only give an incomplete picture of what happens on the court.

The human eye may miss things but numbers do not capture everything either and sometimes the numbers don’t even capture such basic truths as who actually scored and who delivered the pass that led directly to a basket.

]]> By: d sparks http://arbitrarian.wordpress.com/2008/07/28/assigning-credit-to-team-usa/#comment-417 d sparks Wed, 06 Aug 2008 18:08:21 +0000 http://arbitrarian.wordpress.com/?p=211#comment-417 I_hate_flowers: Thanks for pointing that out. I've updated the stats to reflect the official USA Basketball numbers. I_hate_flowers: Thanks for pointing that out. I’ve updated the stats to reflect the official USA Basketball numbers.

]]> By: I_hate_flowers http://arbitrarian.wordpress.com/2008/07/28/assigning-credit-to-team-usa/#comment-416 I_hate_flowers Wed, 06 Aug 2008 16:59:38 +0000 http://arbitrarian.wordpress.com/?p=211#comment-416 FYI only - The USA basketball site has slightly different stats (http://www.usabasketball.com/seniormen/2008/stats/USA.HTM) for Deron Williams and Kobe Bryant on FG and FGA, not sure why that is. Do they go back and revise them? FYI only – The USA basketball site has slightly different stats (http://www.usabasketball.com/seniormen/2008/stats/USA.HTM) for Deron Williams and Kobe Bryant on FG and FGA, not sure why that is. Do they go back and revise them?

]]> By: I_hate_flowers http://arbitrarian.wordpress.com/2008/07/28/assigning-credit-to-team-usa/#comment-414 I_hate_flowers Mon, 04 Aug 2008 17:39:43 +0000 http://arbitrarian.wordpress.com/?p=211#comment-414 I love looking at these each time a game is done. Keep up the good work - one quick typo correction, you have Tayshaun Prince's name misspelled as "Teyshaun". I love looking at these each time a game is done. Keep up the good work – one quick typo correction, you have Tayshaun Prince’s name misspelled as “Teyshaun”.

]]> By: Rob Mahoney http://arbitrarian.wordpress.com/2008/07/28/assigning-credit-to-team-usa/#comment-408 Rob Mahoney Fri, 01 Aug 2008 17:54:03 +0000 http://arbitrarian.wordpress.com/?p=211#comment-408 Very nice. Very nice.

]]> By: I_hate_flowers http://arbitrarian.wordpress.com/2008/07/28/assigning-credit-to-team-usa/#comment-403 I_hate_flowers Wed, 30 Jul 2008 18:14:22 +0000 http://arbitrarian.wordpress.com/?p=211#comment-403 Those credit percentages seem about right to me from my observation of the game. Looking forward to seeing these after the upcoming warm-up in China. Those credit percentages seem about right to me from my observation of the game. Looking forward to seeing these after the upcoming warm-up in China.

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