Ohio scored a league-low 9.29 points per game last summer, but they weren’t the worst offensive team in the league. In fact they were much better than Boston (12.71 PPG) and New York (10.29 PPG). How is that possible? They were more efficient with their possessions. Rating offenses and defenses by raw points for and points against is a flawed, ancient method. Here’s how it should be done. NBA.com measures…
This post is part of a series geared toward generating hype for the upcoming MLL season. Non-lacrosse and non-MLL fans can get to know the league’s stars better through these comparisons to NBA, NFL and NHL players. Some analogies are based on playing styles and others are based on off-field personality, but none are based on spending habits. We aren’t quite at the point where MLL players can drop $5,000…
Here are my Boston-biased, minute-by-minute reactions to the trades and key picks of the 2014 MLL Supplemental Draft: 2:29 pm: Major League Lacrosse headquarters send the interns for coffee. There is a 50-minute wait at Dunkin Donuts. The interns miss the entirety of the draft and fail to provide fans with live twitter updates. A free-for-all for updates ensues. 2:33 pm: Three-team trade: New York sends picks #2 and #28…
This post is part of a series geared toward generating hype for the upcoming MLL season. Non-lacrosse and non-MLL fans can get to know the league’s stars better through these comparisons to NBA, NFL and NHL players. Some analogies are based on playing styles and others are based on off-field personality, but none are based on spending habits. We aren’t quite at the point where MLL players can drop $5,000…
Sports have moved into an era dominated by advanced metrics. Medieval scouting tactics have been replaced. General managers in every sport seek the most accurate metrics for determining player efficiency. Hockey geeks now regard Fenwick and Corsi numbers as predictors of team success. Both numbers have the same concept: Focus on possession rather than scoring, because it provides a larger sample size and eliminates uncertainty. In baseball, on-base percentage is…
This post is part of a series geared toward generating hype for the upcoming MLL season. Non-lacrosse and non-MLL fans can get to know the league’s stars better through these comparisons to NBA, NFL and NHL players. Some analogies are based on playing styles and others are based on off-field personality, but none are based on spending habits. We aren’t quite at the point where MLL players can drop $5,000…
Last week I mentioned that lacrosse is often inaccurately referred to as a cousin of hockey. Although the sticks may make for an easy comparison, the motion of the players is completely different. In fact, I’d argue that besides the sticks and their popularity in Canada, lacrosse and hockey have nothing to do with one another. Hockey players must make split-second decisions with the puck and move it before being…
Anytime a team finishes 5-9, its fans will be demanding changes in the offseason. Local media outlets will blow rumors out of proportion. Expect the Boston Cannons to improve in 2014. Don’t expect to see much roster turnover though. Sure, they are flawed – but the Cannons are much closer to competing than the Ohio Machine or the Rochester Rattlers. There are very few holes on this roster; that’s the…
This post is part of a series geared toward generating hype for the upcoming MLL season. Non-lacrosse and non-MLL fans can get to know the league’s stars better through these comparisons to NBA, NFL and NHL players. Some analogies are based on playing styles and others are based on off-field personality, but none are based on spending habits. We aren’t quite at the point where MLL players can drop $5,000…
In the early stages of a professional sport, it is common to see duopolistic competition. First it was the AFL and NFL, then the ABA and NBA. Now, we have Major League Lacrosse and the LXM Pro Tour. Although it is the Tour that provides an ABA-esque flash, it is MLL that has attempted to revolutionize the game with its 2-point line. Everyday I wish that Tour players like Kyle…