Since there may be no more than a few games left in the season, I thought it would be nice to look at Tyler Hansbrough's contributions to the Toronto Raptors this year.
Hansbrough is a polarizing figure in the league, for reasons that have always escaped me. But if there is one thing he has brought to this team, it is an attitude of toughness, bringing it every night and going hard until the last horn sounds (or is shouted, as in one recent game). Toronto can no longer be called soft and I think a lot of that is due to Tyler.
He has also done everything the coaches asked him to do, or tried to. It seems Hansbrough is actually getting some coaching this year, as opposed to his role in Indiana, and has responded since March by passing the ball more off those offensive rebounds and registering more assists. The coaches apparently never asked him to score, which he certainly did in Indiana on the occasions when he started. All year long, he has set screens to get other guys open. At the start of the season, we had to watch Rudy Gay and DeMar DeRozan hoisting up endless jump shots. But when Tyler does shoot, he takes high percentage shots close to the rim. Neither Lowry nor Vasquez has looked to get Hansbrough involved in the offence, but if it has been frustrating for him, he keeps it to himself. He could have been used far more on the Raptors' (almost) non-existent fast break.
As a result, he actually shoots a higher percentage than DeRozan, fourth on the team. He is fifth in rebounds despite playing half the minutes of the starters, and second in rebounds per 36 minutes. He is also fifth in TS% due to his going to the line so often, and third in win share per 48 minutes. There is no one even close to him in offensive rebound %.
I have no idea if he will be with the team next year, but he has been a key contributor to the Raptors' success in 2013-14, and deserves the fans' appreciation.
Hansbrough is a polarizing figure in the league, for reasons that have always escaped me. But if there is one thing he has brought to this team, it is an attitude of toughness, bringing it every night and going hard until the last horn sounds (or is shouted, as in one recent game). Toronto can no longer be called soft and I think a lot of that is due to Tyler.
He has also done everything the coaches asked him to do, or tried to. It seems Hansbrough is actually getting some coaching this year, as opposed to his role in Indiana, and has responded since March by passing the ball more off those offensive rebounds and registering more assists. The coaches apparently never asked him to score, which he certainly did in Indiana on the occasions when he started. All year long, he has set screens to get other guys open. At the start of the season, we had to watch Rudy Gay and DeMar DeRozan hoisting up endless jump shots. But when Tyler does shoot, he takes high percentage shots close to the rim. Neither Lowry nor Vasquez has looked to get Hansbrough involved in the offence, but if it has been frustrating for him, he keeps it to himself. He could have been used far more on the Raptors' (almost) non-existent fast break.
As a result, he actually shoots a higher percentage than DeRozan, fourth on the team. He is fifth in rebounds despite playing half the minutes of the starters, and second in rebounds per 36 minutes. He is also fifth in TS% due to his going to the line so often, and third in win share per 48 minutes. There is no one even close to him in offensive rebound %.
I have no idea if he will be with the team next year, but he has been a key contributor to the Raptors' success in 2013-14, and deserves the fans' appreciation.
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