My 20 Point Theory

There are some things I really like doing on company time like running errands and the late afternoon Sporcle and then there are things I love doing on company time like pooping and looking at old box scores. Sometimes the latter two are separate activities and other times I can multitask.

The thing is that like many other self-appointed geniuses, I do some of my best thinking on the can, which sounds silly until you hear my latest NBA theory. I posit that about 80% of players in the NBA could score 20 or more points consistently, if given the right role (shots and encouragement included).

To the untrained eye, NBA scoring can be a complete mystery to most, but not me. I have figured it out and I think its the first piece of the puzzle into figuring out how to create the perfect NBA team. I'll get to this later.

Guys like Kobe and Lebron need not apply to this theory, those are givens. But when those number one gunners and even their wingmen go down, it opens the door for the lesser known NBA players. Take John Salmons for example, a league vet who never averaged more than 13 points in a season. This year for the Kevin Martin-less Kings, Salmons has crossed the 20 point barrier 18 times and the 30 point mark two others. He was embraced as the backbone for a team he spent two years watching from the bench.

Here's the super-secret formula: Full Grain Leather Basketball + Opportunity (Opp = open shots + legit inclusion in offense) + Almost any NBA player (the secret ingredient) = 20 Points

Meanwhile, meet Linas Kleiza, the spokesman of the Bardo 20 Point Theory. Kleiza is a lifelong back-up, who is practically one with Carmelo Anthony's shadow, however, we are about to become witness to a Kleiza renessaince era. Carmelo's fractured hand will allow the light to find Kleiza's career again. The last time Linas has a chance, during a Carmelo hiatus (end of Jan 2008), he went for 21, 23, 23, 10, 14, 15, 23, and 15.

Now its not that Carmelo and his fellow A-listers are shooting too much necessarily; just more that almost every rostered player can and should be contributing more. NBA players, by nature can hit open shots, which helps since they also by nature, do not play much defense, thus creating more open shots. Scoring the NBA is about opportunity and swagger, and with opportunity comes the swagger. Havvvvvve you met Stephon Marbury? (Along with lots of other guys who went from big scorers to cut in a couple seasons like Stevie Franchise or Antoine Walker. The theory goes both ways.) When Kleiza gets his burn and is told that he is needed, he steps up, just as Salmons has this year, or Roger Mason Jr did when Ginobili and Parker-Longoria were sidelined. There's so many examples, its basically science.

Let's support the theory more and pick an average NBA team, randomly I will pick the Atlanta Hawks. Guys on the Hawks who could score 20: Joe Johnson, Mike Bibby, Marvin Williams, Josh Smith, Al Horford, Ronald Murray, Mo Evans, Acie Law, and unfortunately Zaza Pachulia. Thats 9 of 12. I'll pick another for argument sake, less randomly, the Celtics, a team with current depth issues. Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Rondo, Perkins, T Allen, Powe, Big Baby, House, and Cassell. Thats 10 Celtics, and I would look for more but I'm scared away by Brian Scalabrine and his [the word opposite of potential].

In the meantime, try to figure out what the players on this list have in common: Jose Juan Barea, Ramon Sessions, Wilson Chandler, Anthony Morrow, Kelenna Azubuike, Hakim Warrick, and Boris Diaw.

You probably think these are players who've scored 20 points in a game this year. WRONG. Those players, many of whom are relatively unknown NBA players, have each had MULTIPLE 20 point efforts this season. So lets agree to agree, almost everyone in the NBA can score in droves on a given night under the right circumstances.

Back to that perfect NBA team idea. Clearly the ultimate squad needs a stud and a leader, along with some defensive presence. I'm saving the defensive lesson for another night so let's look past that for now. Why cant a coach mold his team of starters and back-ups into a singular unit of equal scorers. I'm not saying take the ball out of Kobe's hands if your Phil Jackson, but can't he motivate and condition the rest of the Lakers to have scorer's mentalities?

Therefore, the ultimate team should/could/would be one where the coach can find that middle ground where you can maximize your role players performances. Fill a lineup with the Kleizas, Morrows, Mason Jrs, and Powes of the league and let them do what they do best, successfully fill gaps. To me its about putting more faith in guys in more guys, and make them think that the team relies on them as much as it does on Superstar A. Make them have the pride in their game that a superstar must have and reward them with more crunch time minutes and more shots. That may sound unrealistic but a truly gifted coach can get through to his squad and make them believe that it the team is on them.