You Cannot Judge A Player Until You Watch Them

We lay out a role-first way to assess basketball players and explain why the box score hides some of the most important parts of winning. We break down what each position must do, then use real NBA and WNBA examples to show how decision making, defense, and versatility change player value.  
• Why stats alone miss context and responsibilities  
• Point guard standards built around decision making and assist-to-turnover ratio  
• Comparing Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers, Olivia Miles, and Chelsea Gray through efficiency and turnovers  
• What to demand from a shooting guard beyond scoring  
• Why defensive impact often fails to show in steals and blocks  
• Small forward value tied to versatility, defense, and respectable free throws  
• Modern power forwards as multi-role players without liabilities  
• Center requirements focused on paint presence and defensive anchoring  
• Why “extra credit” skills do not replace core position needs  
• Challenging the double team narrative and emphasizing reads against pressure  

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Transcript

Why Stats Miss The Point

SPEAKER_00 0:01

What's up, everybody? It's your favorite show's favorite show, get a bucket. I'm your host, Trey, as usual. Hope you're all having a wonderful, wonderful day. Today we're going to talk about how to accurately assess basketball players. Might even talk about the different positions. But before we do that, please make sure to hit that like and subscribe button. Comment, tell anyone who's in one about the show. Trying to get the ratings up a little bit, you know, just a little bit. And you wonder where you heard this before. That's because you've been listening with me Monday through Friday at 11 a.m. Eastern Standard Time. So I greatly appreciate your support. Now, you might be wondering where this is coming from. I've talked about Paige Becker's, Olivia Miles, Caitlin Clark in comparison. I've talked about other players as well, too, in comparison. But I made a post and somebody's been like annoying the hell out of me when it comes to this because they're primarily focusing on the positives statistically. They're also focusing too much on the stats. Because stats don't tell everything, ladies and gentlemen. You gotta actually watch the game. You gotta focus on key things, such as, let's say if we're focusing on a point guard, right? Let's go down the traditional judgments and how to assess a point guard, a shooting guard, a small forward, a power forward,

Point Guard Duties And Turnovers

SPEAKER_00 1:15

a center. Let's talk about it. Point guard, their main job is to be an extension of the coach on the floor, right? Like Luca Doncic. While he may be a high turnover player, but he gets a decent amount of assists. But those turnovers get excused because, well, one, like I think it's fair to say he gets a two to one assist to turnover ratio, but he also given a gang of points, too. Solid amount of rebounds as well, too. That's that that may be due to scheme, his all his size as well, too. But again, he's an extension of the coach, and his job is to limit his turnovers. If he is going to turn the ball over, let's have it a let's have a two-to-one assist to turnover ratio. And the less you score, the better your assist-to-turnover ratio should be. Now, taking that to the WNBA side, let's talk about, let's say, Caitlin Clark versus Paige Beckers versus Olivia Miles. And we might even throw Chelsea Gray into the mix, right? The three I named before that, Olivia, Caitlin, Pai, yeah, they all give around six to eight assists. But the problem is Olivia and Paige have a two-to-one assist turnover ratio. Folks love Caitlin Clark, but she's not getting that two to one assist to turnover ratio. Then we also got to factor in the inefficiency.

Clark Vs Bueckers Vs Miles

SPEAKER_00 2:45

Because as a point guard, I'm assuming you're taking smart shots. Now, if other players around your caliber are taking a good amount of shots and they're efficient, well, that matters, right? Chelsea Gray, as an example. Field goal-wise, shooting 44% from the field. So it's not the best, but it's not the worst. Like I can slide on 44%, but 39% from three ain't nothing to scoff at. But here's where we, here's where we really go on cooking with some fish grease, ladies and gentlemen. Over her career, she's had a two to one assist turnover ratio. Again, as a point guard, that's the main thing that I'm focusing on. That assist to turnover ratio. Because not everyone's gonna score a lot. You may have a good score on your team. Olivia Miles has Nafisa Collie here on her team. She can score. Caitlin McBride just dropped 43 points, had 10 threes. She can clearly score. Courtney Williams is a heater, ladies and gentlemen. She can clearly score. Olivia Miles doesn't have to score, but she can. And she does it in quite, and she does it in good space. She can get a bucket. So can Caitlin. So can Olivia Miles, I mean, so can Paige Beckers. So can Chelsea Gray. But the efficiency, the good shot selection. Again, Chelsea Gray's averaging, what, 12 points this season? But we know Chelsea can score for sure. So for me, again, as a point guard, we got to focus on

Shooting Guards Need Two Way Impact

SPEAKER_00 4:05

the positives and the negatives. And the negatives would be the turnovers, the assist to turnover ratio if it's below a two to one assist turnover ratio. That's the thing. Shooting guards, similar manner. I don't care about your assists as much. Don't get me wrong, I don't need to see zero assists from you on average. But like anywhere between three to five is more than sufficient. But where I do need to see is competency from the efficiency standpoint. Meaning, I don't need to see 43% from you from the from the field. If we're talking about from the three, alright, cool. But 43% for your career, that's that that's that's gonna be a little problematic. Have people done that? Yes. In today's game, again, we're looking at more efficiency. Looking at you getting a bucket. We're looking at, we're looking at you being able to play defense. Don't get me wrong, a point guard should be able to play defense too, not be looked at as a liability. But the wings, I would assume that they're going to be guarding the tougher, minor offensive players. Because typically, statistically, they're bigger, right? Might have more athleticism. I said it might, because there are there are anomalies for sure. But typically, the point guard is the shorter person, shooting guard a little taller. They should be able to help out or at least check a dynamic guard on the opposing team. So that's what I'm looking for from a shooting guard perspective. So I'm caring about the numbers, like shooting. But I'm also looking at how you do on the defensive end, which may not always show up on the box score. Ladies and gentlemen, you cannot always just look at stats. You gotta actually put eyes on these ladies and gentlemen and see how they actually hoop in. Jackie Young, as an example. Jackie Young gives us what we need statistically, but what you don't always see are her numbers defensively. And that's because, again, she may be guarding the better players. So her steal rates might not be as high. Her block rates might not be as high. She does well, don't get me wrong. She does extremely well. But they might not be as high. Someone like Bonaj Laney Hamilton, again, thrown onto the best players. Hey, that's a tough task. Ray Borrell on my sparks, she'll guard the best perimeter players on our team, or on our opposing teams. Hey, that's a tough task. I'm not expecting her stats to be as high as somebody else's. Because if you're playing against a weaker opponent, I might expect you to have more steals, more blocks. Because again, that's a weaker opponent. So again, I'm not just looking at stats. You gotta also pay attention to what these players are doing on the court. Because even from a point guard perspective, that two to one assist to turnover ratio. Let's say it's more so your team messing up and not you. Now, the likelihood that's happening is a little low for me, but again, that's a possibility. That's why I say you gotta watch the games. Small forwards.

Small Forward Versatility And Free Throws

SPEAKER_00 6:55

I'm expecting it in a similar manner as I do the guards. Maybe not on the efficiency as much, because again, a small forward to me is more versatile. Like they should be able to assist, rebound, get a bucket too now, but also defend, whether that's guards or bigs. They got to be able to have that versatility. And not everyone's gonna be able to cut this mustard. Like again, if we're looking at the links, for example, their three guards are Olivia Miles, Courtney Williams, and Caleb McBride. I wouldn't quite classify them as being able to guard bigs, right? But that's who they have in their small forward spot. I think Caleb McBride or maybe even Courtney Williams, one of the two. But that's what they're working with personally. So again, that's not always the case, but ideally, traditionally, the small forward is probably your most versatile player on your team. So that's what I'm looking at. You gotta be able to score for sure. You don't have to be a knockdown shooter from three, but you gotta be a competent shooter across the board. Free throws, I gotta expect you to knock down free throws. But as we dip a little further into the depth chart, when I say further, I mean like one, two, point guard, shooting guard. I'm expecting y'all to do well at the free throws. Small forwards, I'll give you a little more grace, but I still like to see you in the 70s, free throws, at least 80s for the guards. Like 70 to 80 for the forwards. I'll tolerate 60 to 70 for the bigs, but ideally, I would really appreciate if everybody can shoot 70 and above. You know, I'm a Lakers fan. I saw Shaq shoot 40, 50%. We won three championships. So it's not imperative that the bigs need to shoot well from the free throw line. But it would be nice if they do. Just imagine if Shaq was knocking down his free throws. Damn, do we trade Shaq? Like that, like these are discussions we can have, but I'm assuming that at least my small forward will be respectable, right? Now,

Power Forwards In A Positionless Era

SPEAKER_00 8:55

if we're looking at power forwards, in the WNBA, it's crazy. Like, someone like Brianna Stewart is listed as a power forward. But keep in mind, she could easily play small forward. Same with Satu Sabali. Like, that's these are versatile. Nafisa Collier, Natasha Howard, like these are versatile players in the WNBA, but also in the NBA, too. Like, Evan Mobley plays power forward. He has moments where he could play small forward or center. Like the power forwards nowadays might be your second most versatile player or position to have in the game of basketball. And again, these players I'm expecting not necessarily to dominate, but you got to be able to be a backup big, right? You got to be able to playmakes ever so slightly, but it's not imperative that you do. You got to be able to scroll for sure. But you also got to be able to rebound. But that versatility has to stand out. So it's not necessarily a stats perspective, ladies and gentlemen. You've got to be able to stand out from a versatility perspective, but not be looked at as a liability on either offense or defense. That's what I view as a power

Centers Must Own The Paint

SPEAKER_00 10:05

forward. And then as a center, listen, I know we're in this era where we're shooting a bunch of threes. I hear that. Hear me out, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls. My center. Yes, you can stretch the floor out, but I do need your butt in the paint. Whether we're talking about men or women, NBA or WNBA, I need you to be able to beat, put your butt in the paint and dominate. If you can't put your back to the basket and dominate, I don't know what to tell you. You can't face up on that low block. I can't, I don't know what to tell you. It's cool that you can stretch the floor out a little bit. I'm gonna put you as a power forward then if that's the case. If you can't be on the block as a center, because every team needs to be able to have an inside presence. Need to see that. Don't get me wrong, I would love for the power forward to be able to do that. But let's use the Pistons as an example. I think that's actually a team that fits the mold that I'm talking about. Chauncey Billups, quality point guard, can score, great decision making, play some, play some hell of a defense, too, right? Rip Hamilton running around, killing it on the mid-range on them screens, getting a bucket, quality defender, slight playmate, efficient as well, too. That's why I love to see Tayshawn Prince can knock down a quality shot. Here's the thing, though. He can guard one through about fours. I don't know if I'd want to put him on the fives. Like Tayshawn Prince versus like Shaq, that may be a little tough. Really, Shaq versus anybody is tough. But Tayshawn Prince on a big, that may be a little tough. But I can see him guarding, like, let's say a Rasheed Wallace. I can see him doing that. I wouldn't want to see him do that the whole game because Rasheed's gonna put him on the block. But again, I can see Tayshawn doing that. That goes to that versatility that I was telling you about, ladies and gentlemen. Rasheed Wallace. And I can also see Tayshawn Prince playing the four, by the way, too, the power forward spot. Rasheed Wallace. I'm not expecting him to guard ones and twos. Can he for a possession? Sure, he can move them puppies a little bit. Threes through fives is what I'm expecting him to do. But again, that's three positions as opposed to four for the small forward. So again, Rasheed Wallace, power forward spot. He can stretch the floor out, but he can also be on the block, too. But his best position was on the perimeter. Reason why? Because you got to leave the interior a little open. Because where the hell is Ben Wallace gonna go? Huh? What he's gonna do. And keep in mind, Ben Wallace was actually a little short too, but again, he was able to play on the post. And more specifically, too, he was a good rim protector. He was a defensive anchor. This is what I need from my

Pistons Blueprint And Big Man Standards

SPEAKER_00 12:30

bigs, ladies and gentlemen. So again, it's a lot. It's not just stats and figures. If I was looking at Ben Wallace statistically, offensively, he won't cut the mustard. Defensively, he's right there though. But offensively, he's not cutting the mustard. But I know people were looking at someone like a Nicola Jokic and saying, well, you know what? Dad, go. He's easily better than Shaquille O'Neal or DK Matumbo or Akeem the Dream of Lajuwan or Ben Wallace. And that's not always the case. Yes, Jokic is stellar offensively. Defensively, not as much. And I get you, you might say, oh, it's not like Shaq was a D-point. Heard you. Heard you. But again, ladies and gentlemen, if you looked at what that man did on the court, he checked off every single box I needed from my center. And that's what every center needs to be able to do have a low post presence as well as be a defensive anchor for your team. I can't say Jokik has done that. In fact, that's more so Aaron Gordon being the defensive anchor on their team for the Nuggets. So again, it's cool that we're looking in today's era and saying, oh yeah, this person can pass, this person can space the floor out. What's needed though? A lot of stuff sometimes are extracurriculars. It's not needed. Like in class, when we're in school, extra credit. It looks nice, but is it needed? Like, did you get all the material that you should have? That's what I'm looking at when I'm looking at these basketball players, ladies and gentlemen. So again, when I'm talking about players in today's game, whether we're talking about WNBA or NBA, you gotta assess and really determine what's needed from the position. Part of my gripe with Luka Donczyk, don't get me wrong, good player, for sure. He doesn't play defense enough for me. And at the point guard spot, I told you he needs to be able to play defense a little bit. Austin Reeves, as a Lakers fan, solid role player for me. You know what I'm saying? Last season he gave pretty good numbers. So if you're focusing solely on stats, oh Austin Reeves, straight. He earned his four his four his four-year contract. He's played well. I can't, I can't I can't go against that too much. Playoffs, he's dipped a little bit. I hear that too. But for me, he's not good enough as a shooting guard. Offensively, he's cool. Defensively, he's not. He's not. But he meets a few checkboxes for sure. If we had different point guards or different shooting guards, then I could see some more balance. But again, ladies and gentlemen, those are some of my gripes. So a lot of times we're focusing too much on stats. And we're not giving the eye context, we're not doing the eye test to see exactly what's going on in the game. We're not realizing what's needed per position because yes, it's a new era, but don't get it wrong. Basketball is still a simple game. And once you have defined roles, it makes the game that much easier. It's a simple game. But we're trying to make everybody become playmakers, make everybody become complete players when realistically, not everyone needs to be a complete player. Like, it's not like Dennis Rodman was out there shooting the three-ball or playmaking. No, he was hustling. He was grabbing them rebounds, scoring ever so slightly. He can get a bucket, but defending his ass off, too. That was his value. And guess what? The Bulls won three

Double Team Myths And Smart Reads

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in a row. Wilfham, by the way. And he gave them some controversy. I'm just saying, ladies and gentlemen, you got to look at what these roles really need and mean to the game of basketball. So when you're looking at some of these players, yeah, it's cool. Like it's cool that Caitlin Clark is averaging 21 points, eight assists. That's not just it, though. Because do you like 43% from the field? Again, that's close to what Chelsea Gray was shooting. But then she also given about 34, 35% from three. Caitlin meaning. But I told y'all, Chelsea Gray averaging 39 from the three. And then keep in mind, too, Chelsea giving what, seven assists to three turnovers? Let's round up because she had 2.9. So let's round up to three. Caitlin given eight assists to five turnovers. Let's round up, right? So again, what would you rather have? Seven assists, three turnovers, or eight assists, five turnovers. Me personally, especially when we're talking about point guards, because guess what? Decision making is key. I'd rather go Chelsea. And we can't keep saying and making false narratives. Oh, well, people are getting double teamed and triple teamed all the time. One, nobody in NBA or WNBA is double and triple teamed all the time. Not a person. I'm sorry to dispel that narrative for you right there. Every single possession, no. Sometimes you get put on an island. Sometimes there's help defense. Sometimes people get blitzed. But again, ladies and gentlemen, nobody gets double and triple teamed all the time. And here's the crazy thing: some players know how to attack a blitz, know how to attack being doubled. Because if you can beat the double, guess what? Now it's a four-on-three situation. Because two players are guarding one. Or three players are guarding one. So now it would be a four-on-two situation. That don't seem that smart if I'm a coach. So if you can beat a double and triple team, especially if it's that high, pressed up, right? I'd like to think that defenses would stop that. And if they're realizing that, hey, you know what? This is still affecting her, let's keep it going. That's called what? SMART. So again, if if it's affecting Caitlin and it's not affecting other people, and other people are also being doubled, then it's it's it's gotta be safe to say that there's something to note there, ladies and gentlemen.

Your Criteria And Final Sign Off

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But again, going back to the positions, you gotta pay attention to what's actually important for each individual position. So whether we're talking about decision making, assist turnover ratio, efficiency, scoring, defense, rebounding, whatever the case may be, rim protection, you gotta pay attention to what's important. But ladies and gentlemen, I'm curious, what's important to you all? Like in the game of basketball position wise, what's actually important to you all to pay attention to when you're assessing players? I want to know your thoughts. But ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, that does conclude the end of the episode. So please make sure to like, subscribe, comment, tell anyone who's anyone about the show. My name is Trey. I'm the host of Good A Bucket. I hope you all are having a good one. Take care.