mrjames
Professor
Posts: 6062
Loc: Montclair, NJ
Reg: 11-21-04
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12-24-17 01:21 PM - Post#241252
In response to AsiaSunset
As for Aiken, perhaps I downgrade him a bit because he sort of reminds me of Tony Hicks e.g. a very talented player who seems like an indifferent defender and does really make those around him better.
Tony Hicks was indeed high usage and had a style like Bryce, but that's really where the similarities stop. Tony at Penn was VERY consistently around 30% usage, but was also very consistently in the low 90s ORAT. Bryce has been at similar usage, but in the low-to-mid 100s (and unless you assume Aiken truly is a 21% 3-point shooter, would be more like mid-to-upper 100s). Even with those struggles, Bryce is currently the 90th most efficient player in the country to use 28% or more of team possessions.
I assume you meant "doesn't really make those around him better," but through the Kentucky game (haven't loaded Fordham in and he didn't play in the last two anyway), Harvard was 103/101 with him on the floor and 70/97 with him off it.
And - if we are going to live and die by the stats - he's performing at a very mediocre level on a talented Harvard squad that looks a bit dysfunctional 12 games into the season.
Again, 90th most efficient player in the country using 28% of team possessions and that's with a 3PT% that will rise and bring his efficiency further up that list. Last year, he was the 64th most efficient player in the country to use 28% of team possessions. I view it as "carrying" a talented Harvard squad, but I guess 90th most efficient high-usage player in the country is mediocre now?
He's not nearly the player Chambers was at this point in his career understanding that he has a long way to go to show he did indeed deserve 1st team All Ivy accolades last year.
He is way, way, way better than Chambers. How is this even a question? Chambers had the luxury of picking his spots and carried a roughly average usage rate throughout his career, while always deferring to a primary option (Saunders his first three years and Aiken last year). Chambers' best year from a TO Rate perspective was equal to Aiken's average. People seem to forget that his junior year was pretty average, he wasn't a great shooter as a junior or senior and had very little ability to finish at the rim. Chambers happened to play better in league play than in the non-conf throughout his career, which may cause other teams' fans to remember him in a bit rosier light than his overall performance would dictate, but you'd be hard-pressed to find someone that would take Chambers over Aiken.
The challenge Harvard faces is that the back up options are not great so they can't afford this year's version of Bryce Aiken when he returns to the lineup if they hope to live up to their preseason billing.
Very true that Harvard's backup PG options are all below replacement-level. But Harvard would be just fine with a 100 ORAT, 30% usage player in its lineup. It's the rest of the rotation that has been, with the exception of Chris Lewis, sub-par that has hurt Harvard more than anything.
Oh yeah, and when Harvard starts hitting threes, including Bryce himself, boosting his Assist Rate and eFG, he's going to have himself another All-Ivy First Team nod.
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