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We've made much of the effect of Greg Stiemsma on Tyreke Evans, and in general, the disaster when the Unholy Trio is on the floor. Have you wondered though, the effect Steamer has had on the entire roster?
| With Greg Stiemsma on the floor | Without Greg Stiemsma on the floor | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Points Per Possession (PPP) | TS% | Minutes | Points Per Possession (PPP) | TS% | Minutes | |
| Tyreke Evans | .84 | 45.8% | 590 | 1.01 | 51.6% | 1341 |
| Brian Roberts | 1.01 | 51.8% | 573 | 1.06 | 53.1% | 1083 |
| Anthony Davis | 1.11 | 52.5% | 571 | 1.19 | 59.1% | 1787 |
| Eric Gordon | 1.00 | 48.6% | 441 | 1.08 | 55.1% | 1617 |
| Al-Farouq Aminu | .88 | 45.3% | 432 | 1.03 | 53.2% | 1533 |
| Anthony Morrow | 1.23 | 59.9% | 376 | 1.19 | 56.1% | 925 |
| Austin Rivers | .88 | 44.5% | 319 | .97 | 48.5% | 871 |
| Darius Miller | 1.00 | 51.9% | 189 | 1.23 | 59.2% | 403 |
| Jeff Withey | .89 | 41.9% | 114 | 1.16 | 62.1% | 474 |
| Jrue Holiday | .85 | 45.8% | 89 | .95 | 50.9% | 1054 |
| Luke Babbitt | 1.21 | 54.3% | 89 | 1.03 | 48.3% | 288 |
| Jason Smith | .79 | 39.0% | 39 | 1.05 | 50.1% | 791 |
| Ryan Anderson | 1.07 | 66.7% | 18 | 1.25 | 56.5% | 777 |
Figures are from NBAWOWY.com. For some reason, Alexis Ajinca is unlisted.
Have you picked your jaw off the ground yet? The differences in most of the numbers are simply astounding. First off, poor Tyreke Evans. I'm strongly considering on writing another apology letter for the simple fact Monty has saddled him with the most minutes alongside the abysmal anchor. It is indisputable that if a player prefers to operate in and around the paint area, he has taken a seismic hit in efficiency. And considering players are being evaluated more and more on statistics reflecting production, that can't be good for bank accounts in the long-term.
So why does Monty Williams favor the Steamer so much? Really, it can be boiled down to one statistic: opponent's points per possession. Monty has an overwhelming infatuation with defense, specifically, the amount of points an opponent scores. With Stiemsma on the court, the Pelicans allow 1.079 PPP. Without him, 1.171 PPP. On average, Steamer's presence is responsible for close to 10 points less by opponents per 100 possessions. That's not an insignificant figure.
However, Monty still loses all credibility when pointing to this evidence. Context. Although the Pelicans are roughly 10 points better on defense, they are 13 points worse offensively. It doesn't take a genius to figure that is an obvious losing proposition. Stiemsma has a Net Rating of -9.2 (97.1 ORTG - 106.3 DRTG). For comparison's sake, Rivers, in purportedly one of the worst seasons ever, posted a -6.8 Net Rating in his rookie year. Stiemsma, our starting center, has a defensive rebounding percentage of 18.2%, 5th best on the team. His turnover ratio of 20.3 is the worst on the team. His flaws easily outweigh any positives in his game.
Currently, many fans are talking about Eric Gordon being Dell Demps largest mistake. Due to contract implications, they are correct, but with how considerably Monty Williams has employed the Steamer, his name definitely belongs in that hat as well.