Syracuse Hoopsters In the NBA – January Edition
Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports
As the nation grapples with another Polar Vortex, the NBA season continues on towards the All Star Break. In mid December, we ran our first look at how our former SU cagers were doing in the NBA, and to continue the series, here is an update of their progress this season.
Similar to December, as of January 27th, there are currently four SU alums playing in the NBA – Carmelo Anthony, Michael Carter-Williams, Dion Waiters, and Wesley Johnson:
Carmelo Anthony – NY Knicks
Full Season Statistics
| Games | Pts/Gm | Rbs/Gm | Steals/Gm | Asst/Gm | FT % | FG % | 3 Pt FG % |
| 40 (16W – 24L) | 27.0 | 9.1 | 1.2 | 3.0 | 85.2% | 44.7% | 42.0% |
Last 10 Games
| Games | Pts/Gm | Rbs/Gm | Steals/Gm | Asst/Gm | FT % | FG % | 3 Pt FG % |
| 10 (5W – 5L) | 30.0 | 9.9 | 1.4 | 3.4 | 84.7% | 44.8% | 50.8% |
Insights and Observations
- Melo and the Knicks are playing .500 ball over the past 10 games, which for the Knicks is a huge improvement when compared to their full season record!
- Carmelo had a record setting game this past Friday night when he hung 62 points on the lowly Charlotte Bobcats. Not only was it a career high for him, but it was also a record performance for both the NY Knicks as well as Madison Square Garden, surpassing the legendary Bernard King!
- Driven by his performance on Friday, Melo’s other stats also showed improvement over his season averages, as he is up in every major except his Free Throw percentage (down half a percentage point).
- Over the past 10 games, he is on fire from 3 point range, hitting almost 51% of his 3 pointers. That is up 21% over his season average of 42%
Digging Into The Stats
- Carmelo’s percentage of ‘unassisted’ points (% of his points that he creates on his own without an assist from a teammate) has fallen significantly (this is a good thing) from the 64.5% in December to 57.5%. Back in December, we compared this stat for Melo against LeBron James and Paul George. Interestingly, LeBron James’ ‘unassisted’ ratio has jumped up from 47% in December to just under 55% in January while Paul George’s ‘unassisted’ ratio has held steady at 50%. You have to wonder if LeBron is starting to feel the need to carry the Heat on his back this year. It will be interesting to see how things progress the rest of the year
- Back in December, Melo’s road statistics were actually better than those at MSG. Since then, he has turned it around at home and now all his major statistics are better at home than on the road. He is scoring 29 points a game at MSG on average compared to 24 points a game on the road.
Michael Carter-Williams – Philadelphia 76ers
Full Season Statistics
| Games | Pts/Gm | Rbs/Gm | Steals/Gm | Asst/Gm | FT % | FG % | 3 Pt FG % |
| 33 (13W – 20L) | 17.3 | 5.7 | 2.5 | 6.5 | 69.6% | 40.6% | 29.8% |
Last 10 Games
| Games | Pts/Gm | Rbs/Gm | Steals/Gm | Asst/Gm | FT % | FG % | 3 Pt FG % |
| 10 (2W – 8L) | 18.0 | 5.8 | 1.7 | 5.1 | 68.5% | 41.1% | 31.0% |
Insights and Observations
- MCW has been battling injuries off and on this season but has finally been playing regularly, which is positive.
- His productivity over the past 10 games has been mixed compared to his season averages. His Points, Rebounds and Field Goal Percentages are up yet his steals and assists are off significantly (-32% and -21% respectively) compared to his season averages
- His season averages have fallen off across many categories since December. You have to wonder if the drag of the full NBA season plus his nagging knee injuries are starting to take a toll. Not to mention all the losses. He has lost more games this year with Philly than in his two years at Syracuse combined.
- MCW continues to play better on the road than in Philadelphia. He’s scoring 20 PPG on the road (vs 15 PPG at home), he’s shooting better on the road (41.6% vs. 39.5%). Ironically, his Assist numbers are the only major statistic that is better at home vs. on the road. Maybe he’s eating too many Cheesesteaks down on South Street?
- MCW scored 19 points, 12 rebounds, and seven assists in a win over the Knicks and Carmelo Anthony last Wednesday.
Digging Into The Stats
- MCW is still doing an effective job getting to the tin. He is now 6th in the NBA (up from 7th) in terms of Points Per Game on drives to the basket.
- MCW is still a huge part of the Philadelphia offense, with 71% of their front court touches go through him. That number is down from 76% in December, however that dip is probably driven in part by the games he had to sit due to injury.
Dion Waiters – Cleveland Cavaliers
Full Season Statistics
| Games | Pts/Gm | Rbs/Gm | Steals/Gm | Asst/Gm | FT % | FG % | 3 Pt FG % |
| 38 (14W – 24L) | 14.4 | 3.0 | 0.9 | 2.7 | 69.1% | 40.5% | 36.4% |
Last 10 Games
| Games | Pts/Gm | Rbs/Gm | Steals/Gm | Asst/Gm | FT % | FG % | 3 Pt FG % |
| 10 (5W – 5L) | 11.9 | 2.1 | 0.9 | 3.3 | 65.5% | 35.5% | 32.4% |
Insights and Observations
- Waiter’s past ten games have been a little rough, as he is down in every category save Assists. His scoring is off 17%, while his Rebounds are down 30% compared to his season averages. The team dynamics in Cleveland have definitely been challenged this year but with the recent addition of Luol Deng to the team, hopefully things will change for the better.
- Waiters had a solid 15 points during 28 minutes in the loss to the Bulls last Wednesday, yet was held scoreless against Dallas earlier in the week.
- Similar to MCW, Waiters has been much more effective on the road, averaging 15.5 PPG compared to 12.9 in Cleveland. His shooting percentages have been better on the road as well, which is really interesting considering all the travel and the nuances of different courts across the league.
Wesley Johnson – Los Angeles Lakers
Full Season Statistics
| Games | Pts/Gm | Rbs/Gm | Steals/Gm | Asst/Gm | FT % | FG % | 3 Pt FG % |
| 43 (16W – 27L) | 8.4 | 3.5 | 1.0 | 1.6 | 82.5% | 41.9% | 36.6% |
Last 10 Games
| Games | Pts/Gm | Rbs/Gm | Steals/Gm | Asst/Gm | FT % | FG % | 3 Pt FG % |
| 10 (W2 – L8) | 11.2 | 3.8 | 0.9 | 1.6 | 80.0% | 43.0% | 38.0% |
Insights and Observations
- Wes has been averaging double digits at 11 Points Per Game over the past 10, which is up 33% compared to his season average of 8.4 PPG. His Field Goal and 3 Point Shooting is also up slightly over the past 10 games compared to his full season stats. With Kobe out for the foreseeable future, Wes and his teammates have had to pick up the scoring for the Lakers.
- Wes didn’t start this past weekend against Carmelo and the Knicks and generally speaking, had a pretty pedestrian game scoring only 6 points.
- Wes continues to have his best statistical season of his 4 year NBA career. His 41.9% shooting from the field this year is down slightly from December but is still better than any year in his career to date. He has come back down to earth with his 3 Point shooting, as his average is now at 36.6% compared to 44.8% in December. Even with that dip, he is still shooting better from the 3 Point Line than at any time in his career!
So that is what is happening with our four Syracuse alums playing in the NBA! Hopefully our four Syracuse NBA-ers will all be able to take a few hours out of their day to catch the big Duke game up in the Dome this Saturday (or at least set their DVR’s to watch later)!!
Until next time!