01-15-2021, 04:57 PM
(01-15-2021, 12:11 AM)Tyler Wrote: In 4 games in the starting lineup so far, WCS is averaging 7.5 points, 9.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.3 blocks in just under 26 minutes a game.
Compare that to pre-injury Powell in his starts last season: 9.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 0.5 blocks in just under 27 minutes a game.
Basically WCS is trying out the old Powell role, and he's doing an impressive job while also being a much better defender and rebounder. It's a small sample size, but if he keeps it up this could be similar to the THJ situation last year where he got a starting shot and played so much better that the team just ran with it and never looked back.
Good stuff Tyler. Thanks. I appreciate your using the pre-injury data, because even that makes an argument for Willie. If you dig into the advanced stats a little, Willie's O-Rating/D-Rating (things Powell has traditionally been great at) is 130/102 this season. Powell was off the charts good at 134/111 and Willie is better at that too. The numbers that matter most to me are the on/off numbers. Willie is +20 on and +23 on-off. That won't last (or if it does we will go undefeated from here on). But cut both numbers in half and you still have an incredible situation. Heck, cut it in half again to something like +5 and +6 and this is an incredible pairing.
I went back and looked up something I wrote on 12/12 that I think is appropriate and is hopefully prophetic:
"I think WCS has a light switch hidden somewhere. I can’t put my finger on why, I just do. That switch has been really hard to find. If Carlisle could get that thing switched while KP is out and get some momentum going we could have something really special. Give WCS’s Powell’s effort and Maxi’s three point shot (for all we know he’s got this already) and you would have a monster. The thing that seems to keep WCS from becoming Myles Turner appears to be all between his ears. I hope whatever it is is curable."