APBRmetrics

[jambalaya]

i sorted data for this season and looked for the rough median of per minute statistical performance by position (except i grouped all centers and powerforwards together as big men)

this is what i found:

(projecting that data to 30 minutes a game )

position pts rebs asts
Big men 9 7.5 1.2
Sf 9 4.5 1.8
Sg 10.5 3.6 2.4
Pg 10.5 3 4.5


i included all players. the median values would be different (probably higher) if you imposed a minimum minutes of playing time threshold for inclusion. (i didnt, because i was focused on guys that would be decent to have on the extended roster rather than evaluating to find just guys who could crack the top 7 in the rotation now.)

i think you could use these numbers as a initial guide for evaluating which players are at or above the median performance levels per minute and in general might be worth adding to a team's depth thru free agency or trades if you could get them at an acceptable price (they are above average per minute and that is fairly attractive, especially given that many of the above average players are not freely available at any moment of time. )

of course every team would have to evaluate specific needs based on the rotation and the reality of how time will be divided, court balance, contract situation, etc.

young players who are showing improvement or are considered capable of improvement would have additional attraction for the long term.

shortfalls from these median values for a player are worth some consideration as to whether their strengths more than offset them and / or whether the team as a whole can offset and safely accomodate them.
in some cases though you are just looking for a specialist that does one thing very well and you can decide to make the allowances.

there are many other stats you would want to evaluate of course, including stats for defense. this was a simple cut on three basics.

in many cases teams are looking for guys to fill closer to 15 minute a night roles. so a big man that can give your 5 points and 4 rebounds in 15 minutes is slightly above the median for that position. or a point guard that can give you 6 points and 2.5 assists in 15 minutes is also slightly above the median of all players. that isnt much but it has value and shouldnt cost a lot. and if they can do it for 20-30 minutes a night when you need it, great.