NBA Net Rating Foes
A few weeks ago, we looked at a few players who fared far better in terms of Net Rating (the measure of a player’s value when he is on vs. off the court) than most folks would have imagined. Today we’ll take a look at the reverse — players who may have some name value, but don’t fare as well when it comes to Net Rating. (A more thorough explanation of Net Rating is included in the piece linked above.)
Going team-by-team, there simply aren’t as many surprising players on the short end of the stick when it comes to Net Rating. There are a few surprises in the vein of “James Harden has the third-worst Net Rating of any regular on the Rockets,” but in those cases the players Net Rating (+7.2 for Harden) is still strong enough that to call it a surprise would be reaching. We’ll keep it to four players who catch the eye with their poor Net Ratings in 2016–17.
Mario Hezonja, Orlando Magic (-13.7)
When Hezonja came into the league just 20 months ago there was so much to love. He was a 6’ 8” dead-eye shooter with a flair for the dramatic and a penchant for letting his opponents know when he had embarrassed them (which was often). Hezonja made a name for himself in the top Spanish League as well as in international play. Hezonja won the FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship MVP in 2011, and he was a YouTube legend not too much later. Cut to February of 2017, and he has the sixth-worst Net Rating in the league (min. 10 minutes per game; 10 games played). Hezonja is getting only 12.0 minutes a game for the 22–38 Magic. He’s been in and out of the doghouse of numerous coaches, but it’s not like he’s putting up numbers when he has been on the court. His 32.5 percent shooting from three and 4.1 points per game in 2016–17 are a far cry from what even his critics would have expected after he was selected with the fifth overall pick of the 2015 draft. Hezonja is still only 22 years old (and he only reached his Taylor Swift year two days ago), but he may not get too many more chances given his reputation as a tough player to work with. If he doesn’t improve his on-court product soon he may join Jan Vessly in the long list of lottery picks who became cult heroes at the draft and then never do anything after their brief minute of glory.
Brandon Knight, Phoenix Suns (-12.1)
No wonder the Suns had trouble trading their $70 million man at this year’s trade deadline. For the second-highest paid player on the Suns, Knight certainly hasn’t played like it in 2016–17. Knight is averaging 8.6 fewer points and 2.7 fewer assists in 2016–17 than in 2015–16, and while part of that has to do with playing time, the advanced metrics are mighty damning as well. No regular on the squad has a worse Net Rating than Knight (Alex Len, somewhat surprisingly has the second-worst), as the offense (98.8 O Rating) and defense (110.9) both crater to near-league worst rates when Knight is on the floor. With every day that passes, the trade that brought Knight to Phoenix — a trade in which the Suns gave up a first-round pick — is looking worse and worse by the second. The pick, which is the Lakers’ top-three protected first-round pick this season, could end up landing the 76ers (who ended up with the pick in the three-team deal) another pick in the top five range and just ruin the day for Suns fans a bit more. Just a friendly reminder, Knight is under contract through the 2019–20 season… I’m so sorry, Phoenix. Let’s move on.
Reggie Jackson, Detroit Pistons (-8.4)
Want to know the main reason the Pistons have stagnated in the second season of the Stan Van Gundy Era? You’re looking at him. It’s a terrible sign when your team is noticeably worse with the starting point guard (and supposed second-in-command) is on the court. The offense has performed quite similarly with Jackson on vs. off the court (slightly damning in its own right), but the team has cratered on the defensive end with Jackson on the court this year. The team gives up very nearly 10 more points per 100 (9.8 to be exact) when Jackson is on the court vs. when he is off the court. The Pistons go from top-five defense (103.4 D Rating) when Jackson is off the court to an literal tire fire (113.2) when he’s on the court. Now part of that is his surrounding cast in the starting lineup, and Andre Drummond hasn’t exactly covered himself in glory on the defensive end this season. In fact, of all the regulars on the Pistons, Drummond has the second-worst Net Rating to Jackson this season. It’s actually a borderline miracle that the Pistons are the eight seed right now given the full-on bed pooping their top two players (supposedly) have been engaged in this season. Man, this article is even more depressing than I was thinking it would be. Sorry Pistons fans, let’s wrap this up quickly.
Buddy Hield, Sacramento Kings (-6.4, lowest of any regular on the Pelicans during his time there)
