TorturedBlazerFan
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elite definition: a select group that is superior in terms of ability or qualities to the rest of a group or society
those stats I listed actually gauge ability and quality. You just came up with a number that gauges opportunity, and the raw result of that opportunity.
TS% normalizes between result and opportunity (CJ also ranks 150th in eFG%...behind Aminu). It's not a perfect stat, but none are, but it certainly injects some critical context into that PPG number. And it certainly begins to make the label of elite when applied to CJ questionable. Apparently, Zach Levine is much more elite than CJ as he averages 2.4 more points on 0.1 more shot; Devin Booker averages 3 more points on 0.8 more shots; and both of those guys crush CJ in assist rate
it also raises the question if other players are more "elite" offensively than CJ. Tobias Harris averages 0.1 fewer points on 2.6 fewer shots; Buddy Hield averages 0.2 fewer points on 1.6 fewer shots; LMA 0.3 fewers point on 1.9 fewer shots; Julius Randle 0.8 fewer points on 4.2 fewer shots, Lou Williams 1.4 fewer points on 2.9 fewer shots; John Collins 1.7 fewer points on 4.7 fewer shots
you can not ignore efficiency when you're talking about offense. I would agree that CJ seems fairly good at scoring considering he creates about 52% of his offense on his own. But he simply isn't very efficient, not in shooting or scoring. And considering how much he has the ball in his hands, how much shot clock he burns, and how many possessions he uses, his play-making ability, or rather the lack of, detracts from the overall context of his offensive game. Like I said, if somebody wanted to say he was good on offense, I wouldn't push back against it. I don't really agree, but it's not worth debating at this point in time. But CJ being called "elite" just doesn't withstand any scrutiny IMO,
I'll say it, he's an elite NBA scorer, heard it from people who actually have to guard him enough times to know that this is why so many players laugh off analytic guys and fans. Is CJ efficient? no, but the guy can score with the best in the world. In fact, he's one of only 500ish people on the planet who's even in the NBA, and he's one of maybe 60ish guys in the NBA who are actually game planned for every night. So of a very elite group of people, he's also considered elite enough that those group of players focus on stopping him on a nightly basis. Every single opposing coach talks about you gotta stop Dame and CJ, that's literally their game plan.
I've got my issues with CJ and I'm not sure the Dame / CJ combo is championship worthy, but I think it's getting a little crazy how much work is going into trying to say he's bad, when he very clearly isn't, and there isn't a team in the NBA who wouldn't want CJ on their roster. They may not start him depending on who they have but sheesh no one's claiming he's Dame, or KD, or Lebron, or whomever. Everyone knows he's got holes in games. Zach Levine and Devin Booker are guys you bring up because "stats" but I wouldn't trade for either one, they've been in the league for a few years now and their "skills" certainly haven't led to winning, they're number one options too, instead of second or third option.
I get it CJ has issues, we all know he's bad on defense for an NBA player, he doesn't pass well, he really does one thing well which is create his own shot, but that one skill has gotten him pretty far in life...