Stargazing in the NBA

The last time I was discussing the NBA, I gave a general overview of how I thought the Boston Celtics would fare in the 2012-13 season (http://anthropology4454.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-sport-of-basketball-and-why.html). I avoided using statistical analyses for the team preview because I think of most basketball statistics as more of a game-to-game and week-to-week entity.

Therefore, one reason why I enjoy watching each game is for individual players potentially reaching milestones. Basketball is the sport that revolves most around a singular star player because it requires just 5 players for a lineup and 12 to 15 to complete an NBA roster. The NHL (6 starters, 23-man roster), MLB (9 to 10 starters, 25-man roster) and NFL (11 starters, 53-man roster) all have more players in action and more players rostered than the NBA. In addition, soccer’s roster rules vary, but the game also needs more starters and players to field a squad than does basketball.

Baseball is the major sport that is least impacted by one player. Hockey, football and soccer all depend on star players, but basketball is by far the most affected by an individual performance. Baseball milestones are the most popularized. For example, some of the most legendary statistical achievements are the 762-HR mark set by Barry Bonds as well as Joe DiMaggio’s MLB-record 56-game hitting streak. However, basketball milestones are actually the ones that should be followed even more closely because individual stardom is magnified in the NBA. I recently posted “The Complete Guide to the Boston Celtics Milestones for the Upcoming 2012-13 Season” (You Can Read It Here: http://statsadam.blogspot.com/2012/10/your-complete-guide-to-boston-celtics.html) on my blog. Although the Celtics did not re-sign Ray Allen, they acquired Jason Terry, who is also near the top of the all-time three-pointers list. Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce are also moving up the ranks in the NBA and Celtics record books. It will be fun to see and track how they perform this year.