I’ll admit it. As a perpetual tinkerer, I have found something to relish in our current fantasy basketball climate. With most of my leagues adding extra IR slots, I get a little buzz knowing I’ll get to audition 2-3 new players every few days. (I’m a serial monogamist in every area of my life but fantasy sports.)
I find it freeing. You get to try new ideas and play hunches with little to no fantasy regret. Our teams need a constant influx of new players. And if someone isn’t working out, there are dozens of other players waiting for their shot at the simulated big time. (In fantasy and reality… at present, all of us are offering a ton of 10-day contracts.)
Take Stanley Johnson. I have been waiting for Johnson to hit his stride for years… as a point-big-sixth-man. Previously, Johnson got shoe-horned into fitting the 3-and-D mold — a role he couldn’t fill due to his middling 3-point shooting. But now, with differentiation by position flattening, gifted passers like Johnson can find a way to thrive. And with the protocol in effect, Johnson got the extra chance he needed.
Now when he shoots, it’s either a dunk or a 3. Unlike Ben Simmons, Johnson can hit his free throws (84.6 FT%). Evidence of Johnson’s overall increase in offensive efficiency is in his new career-high 62.1% True Shooting Percentage.
When evaluating prospective adds, I recommend leveraging True Shooting Percentage (TS%) whenever possible. It’s a stat that conflates field-goal and free-throw percentage while also accounting for the extra point generated by a successful 3-pointer. (TS%’s closest relative is Points Per Shot, another handy metric for fantasy team-building.)
If you’d like to try calculating your own TS% at home, the formula is Total Points Scored / FGA + (.44 x FTA).
What’s that coefficient of .44 about? Good question! It’s there to account for free throws awarded in non-possession situations (and-1s, technicals, etc.). (BTW, if all free throws came in pairs, the coefficient would…
Source : espn
