The "Have Your Random NBA Question Answered" Thread

[benji]

I'm pretty sure that would be basically impossible. If you never shot you'd never play that many games. And if you did take shots eventually you'd make one.

Anyway, fewest points in a season, 82 games:
500+ minutes: Jim Less, 1988-89, 138 points in 732 minutes.
1000+ minutes: Michael Cage, 1996-97, 151 points in 1247 minutes.
1500+ minutes: Manute Bol, 1990-91, 155 points in 1522 minutes.
Latest: Adonal Foyle, 2007-08, 156 points in 774 minutes.

Looking at a career?
Geoff Crompton scored 99 points over 82 games. Mario West has only managed 119 points in 142 games thus far.

[J@3]

From what I can see, the longest anyone's played in the NBA without scoring a single point was Maurice Baker in 2005, he played 19 minutes over 5 games and didn't score. Only took 1 shot as well.

Dexter Shouse played 18 minutes over 3 games, took 4 shots and didn't score.

James Scott in 97 played 32 minutes over 8 games and scored 1 point.

William Cunningham in 98-99 played 23 games, 201 minutes and scored 14 points.

[Stress Fracture]

Wow. Those are some "unbelievable" stats.

[Andrew]

wow that must be one stinking eastern conference

Both conferences had some fairly ordinary records outside the top few teams. Only 11 of the 23 teams that made up the league that season were over .500.

[Panco]

Who is currently the youngest player in NBA?

[dopeboy]

Who is currently the youngest player in NBA?

Currently it's Jrue Holiday (born June 12, 1990). It would be Ricky Rubio if he chose to play in the NBA instead of staying in Europe.

[shadowgrin]

wow that must be one stinking eastern conference

You got to consider that the league wasn't diluted in talent then unlike today where the league has 30 teams. That 30-52 record might be the result of the top teams constantly whipping the behind of the lower teams in that conference.

[Patr1ck]

Yeah that's when the players didn't have any money, so they stacked themselves up on a few teams in order to win.

[Lamrock]

Actually, its because they had just switched to the 8 team playoff system, and so 8/11 teams in the conference make the post-season.

[benji]

Every single team in the Midwest makes the playoffs that year.

They had actually switched years before, after the Sixers nearly ran the table for their title.

wow that must be one stinking eastern conference

You got to consider that the league wasn't diluted in talent then unlike today where the league has 30 teams. That 30-52 record might be the result of the top teams constantly whipping the behind of the lower teams in that conference.

It's actually more of a situation where more teams regressed to the mean. What we consider "normal" of teams winning 25 or less games, with a couple in the 15-20 range is statistically very difficult. We should expect many teams to fall in the 30-40 range (which they did that season) simply due to math.

It's why, for example, my predictions for this season saw a curve that died off at around 30 wins. Statistically it's just very difficult to project anyone being that bad due to regression to the mean along with inability to predict how many close games a team wins. Even this season, the Nets are nowhere near as bad as their record but they've lost a lot of close games as well as injuries killing their regression back to the mean.

The fewer teams you have the harder it actually is to lose as badly. You have to be absolutely horrible in a league with tons of stacked teams (you see this in the 1960s) or you have to be in an over-expanded league (the 1990s) to win less than 20 games. The 1970s were such a time of parity because the teams couldn't actually accumulate the talent to exceed each other for long due to ABA pressures. The 1973 Sixers become that much more remarkable in the context. (To be fair, the Sixers, were like this years Nets not that bad. But along with Portland and Buffalo, helped allowed Boston, LA, Milwaukee and New York to win so many games.)

[john26]

What 2010 offseason scenario would make the Toronto Raptors unable to sign a player with the mid-level exception?

[Andrew]

Glancing at Larry Coon's FAQ, I'm guessing the only such scenario would involve them renouncing their mid-level exception to claim the cap room. Other than that, they'd only lose it by using it.

[john26]

has there been a case of a 6-7/6-8 small forward who in college had the size of someone like carmelo anthony and when he went into the pros, he lost some weight and became a slight frame guy but still played sf?

[Andrew]

Dennis Scott possibly, though he was never a Melo-like player in any other respect. From memory he had some weight issues in college but maintained a more slender frame - not particularly slight or frail but not overweight nor as big as Melo - during his NBA career.

[benji]

I can't tell really, but I do know he got fat as hell and out of shape in Dallas post-Meltdown.

[JaoSming]

How many players have gotten injured on the last game of the regular season?

How many players have done the trade loophole? (By that I mean the Z Cavs "trade" buyout sign)

[Andrew]

I can't tell really, but I do know he got fat as hell and out of shape in Dallas post-Meltdown.

Yeah I was looking for some photos of him looking a bit hefty in college too but could only come up with that one. I recall a couple of stories about him gaining some weight and being heckled with a presentation of a box of doughnuts or having some Twinkies and the like thrown at him at some point in his college career. He's the closest example the comes immediately to mind due to those stories but not a lot of photographic evidence I have to admit.

[NovU]

Speaking of Melo's body frame, doesn't he remind you of Anthony Mason in some ways? Maybe Mason with less muscles, but...

[benji]

How many players have done the trade loophole? (By that I mean the Z Cavs "trade" buyout sign)

It has been a fair number of teams. Off the top of the head the Spurs (Brent Barry), Magic (Adonal Foyle), Celtics (Gary Payton) and Pistons (Lindsey Hunter, Antonio McDyess) have all done it.

The 30-day rule is new, Payton and Hunter both resigned like days later.

EDIT: Whoops, thought you said "teams."

[Axel The Great]

This has probably been asked on here before but, has there ever been a player in the NBA that was taller than Yao Ming?

[john26]

What is the furthest shot made in an NBA game?

[shadowgrin]

This has probably been asked on here before but, has there ever been a player in the NBA that was taller than Yao Ming?

These guys:

Gheorghe Muresan (7'7), Manute Bol, and Shawn Bradley (7'6).

[benji]

What is the furthest shot made in an NBA game?

Here's a bunch of random ones:

phpBB [video]

But I know there's been full court ones made in games.

[kibaxx7]

My question is, did you know that apart from Nowitzki, Donte Greene, Anthony Randolph and Carlos Boozer were all born in Germany? Imagine Boozer and Dirk in the World Championships! (never going to happen) (Source; Box 10)

[Andrew]

I must confess I wasn't aware of that.