FanPost

A first read on the Nets' 2019-20 real plus-minus ratings

The first round of ESPN's real plus-minus ratings is out (http://www.espn.com/nba/statistics/rpm). They will be updated periodically throughout the season. The estimates are very noisy at this point, and based in part on box score stats. As the season goes on, they will become more precise and more "purely" based on points scored and allowed while a given player is on the court, holding statistically constant the contributions of the other nine players. (The rankings, especially, should be taken with a big grain of salt, since the list includes many players who haven't played much yet.)

I find the defensive ratings most informative, since so little of what happens on the defensive end is captured by traditional box score stats or fans' "eye tests." (Many Nets fans seem to think that "being active" is the hallmark of good defense.) Nwaba and Allen have the best defensive ratings on the team at this point, which is not too surprising. Irving and LeVert's poor defensive ratings may (or may not) reflect the fact that when they were playing, the whole defense was not yet in synch. Dinwiddie, Harris, and Prince also have negative defensive ratings, which may be a bigger issue going forward.

There are no Nets among the league's top 50 players, though Dinwiddie and Allen are close. Irving and Dinwiddie are ranked #17 and #21 offensively, but dragged down by bad defense. More generally, the offensive ratings underline the extent to which the team has been reliant on those two, and the overall lack of offensive contributions from the bench.

The biggest surprise, to me, is that Jordan looks so bad, both offensively and defensively.

#55 Dinwiddie: +2.32 (+3.12 offensive, -0.80 defensive).

#58 Allen: +2.30 (+0.85 offensive, +1.45 defensive).

#76 Nwaba: +1.76 (-0.09 offensive, +1.85 defensive).

#90 Irving: +1.53 (+3.22 offensive, -1.70 defensive).

#155 Prince: +0.54 (+0.96 offensive, -0.42 defensive).

#158 Temple: +0.45 (+0.13 offensive, +0.32 defensive).

#159 Harris: +0.45 (+1.13 offensive,-0.67 defensive).

#226 Pinson: -0.24 (-0.69 offensive, +0.46 defensive).

#266 LeVert: -0.68 (+0.49 offensive, -1.17 defensive).

#378 Kurucs: -1.99 (-1.57 offensive, -0.42 defensive).

#388 Jordan: -2.14 (-0.74 offensive, -1.40 defensive).

#400 Claxton: -2.48 (-1.47 offensive, -1.01 defensive).

#422 Musa: -3.72 (-1.63 offensive, -2.10 defensive).

For fans who are nostalgic, or interested in assessing Marks's roster moves, here are the ratings for some former Nets: Bogdanovic +2.01, Ferrell +1.38, Napier +1.08, Hollis-Jefferson +1.07, Lopez -0.25, Russell -0.72, Young -0.79, Dudley -0.94, Carroll -0.95, Shumpert -1.40, Okafor -1.56, Crabbe -3.20, Graham -3.54.