*Team/NBA
Leaderboard ranks are qualified players only.
*The
Floor Time section includes both qualified and unqualified players in rankings.
*Remember
to check the Glossary at the end of this entry for stat/abbreviation
explanations.
C
Zaza Pachulia (7th season with Hawks/9th
season overall)
Age:
27 (turned 28 in February)
Draft
History: 42nd pick in 2003 by Orlando
Acquired:
Signed as free agent August 2005
2012
Salary: $4.75 Million
2013
Contract Status: $5.25 Million
2012
Regular Season Grade: B-
Grade
Explanation: Filled in adequately at center after the
loss of Horford. Had his best season in years while earning a reasonable salary.
Was consistent and available all year until a foot injury caused him to miss
the final 7 games. Was out-played by opposing centers. Floor time metrics
suggest he often hurt the team, but he was still much better than other players
who would have hurt the team much more. Brought intensity and toughness to team
that cannot be measured in stats.
Overall:
I’ll be honest: I love Zaza. For me, it all goes back to that first round
series with Boston in 2007-2008. Nothing Easy. It’s obvious that many Hawks
fans share my feelings for Pachulia. His effort is always rewarded with
applause, and that (sadly) is not always the case in Atlanta.
This season Pachulia
was forced into a starting role when big Al Horford went down in the 11th
game of the year. While often overmatched, Zaza did the best he could and
filled in admirably, until a foot injury ended his season with 7 games
remaining.
Zaza played in 58 of 66
games, making 66 starts, and averaging 28.3 MPG. He shot .499 from the floor,
.741 at the line, and did not attempt a 3-pointer. Zaza averaged 7.8 P/G, 7.9
R/G, 1.4 A/G, 0.9 S/G, and 0.5 B/G with 1.4 TOV/G.
Zaza is what he is. His
best assets are energy, intensity, and toughness. He attacks the boards on both
ends of the floor, he draws fouls, he sets screens, and he does the dirty work.
Pachulia is 6-11, but he really doesn’t seem to play that big, perhaps because
he’s not especially long. He doesn’t block shots but he’s a solid defender and
a strong rebounder. He struggles against some centers and fouls a lot
(sometimes out of necessity), but he doesn’t back down from any challenge.
Offensively it’s all
below the rim for Pachulia. He’s not a good finisher and he has poor hands. We
saw this come into play in unfortunately obvious ways in some big moments
during the middle of the season (drawing an inordinate amount of vitriol from a
number of Hawks fans). He will shoot short and midrange jumpers, but he’s
actually not very good at it. Zaza plays to contact, and hopes to get the call,
making him susceptible to getting his shot blocked. Pachulia also commits a lot
of offensive fouls.
His strength on offense
is on the boards. He has an excellent nose for the ball and is adept at getting
position against taller, bigger, and longer opponents. He makes his points on
put backs and at the line.
This season 37% of Zaza’s
FGA were jumpers, and he had just a .400 EFG on those shots. The other 63% of
his FGA came from inside (obviously) and he had a .553 EFG on those shots. He
had a .559 EFG on “close shots” (that is, inside shots which aren’t dunks or
tips), which accounted for 51% of his FGA.
Interestingly, Zaza had
just a .778 EFG on dunks (5%), which isn’t very good when you think about it
(by comparison, Josh Smith had a .981 EFG on dunks). He had just a .417 EFG on
tips (7%). Despite these unimpressive numbers, Zaza actually had his best ever
FG% this season.
44% of Zaza’s FGA came
in the first 10 seconds of the shot clock (lots of tips will push that number
up) and he had a .527 EFG on those shots. Just 18% of his FGA came with less
than 5 seconds on the shot clock (.367 EFG). As mentioned earlier, for Zaza it
is often “get fouled or get blocked.” He was fouled on 17.5% of his FGA, but
also had 13% of his FGA blocked.
Zaza can actually run
the floor pretty well, he just can’t finish, and his bad hands are a problem.
He’s not that bad of a passer but he recorded just 79 total assists this year
against 81 total turnovers. Of Zaza’s 81 TOV, 34 were “ball handling” mistakes,
while 21 were “bad passes.” He was called for 20 offensive fouls, most of these
coming by way of illegal screens rather than charges. 6 of his TOV were
classified as “other.”
Pachulia played in 50%
of the team’s total minutes this season, the 4th highest total on
the team. He played almost exclusively at center (spent a handful of seconds at
the 4 spot). Overall Zaza was out-produced by opposing centers while on the
floor this season.
Zaza did a more than
adequate job filling in for Horford and completed one of the best seasons of
his career. And yet in terms of points per 100 possessions, the Hawks were
better both offensively and defensively when Zaza was off the floor as opposed
to when he was on it.
Zaza played in 53% of
Atlanta’s CLUTCH minutes, and as mentioned earlier, he was not always at his
best in these high pressure moments. He made 7 of 12 FGA in CLUTCH for a .583
FG% (up from .497 overall) and went 9 for 12 at the FT line for a .750 FT% (up
from .741), but his P/48 number was just 11.2 (down from 13.3). He had 2
assists and 2 turnovers during CLUTCH situations. Incidentally, Zaza was 0 for
2 on jumpers and 0 for 1 on tips during CLUTCH.
Statistics:
Zaza
Pachulia started for the Hawks in his first two seasons in Atlanta, while the
team was still attempting to climb back to respectability. When Al Horford’s
career began, Zaza became a backup, and the Hawks made the playoffs 4 straight years.
This year Horford’s injury pressed Pachulia back into the starting lineup.
Thus, 2011-2012 was Zaza’s biggest season in years from a per game perspective.
What is somewhat surprising is that despite playing starters minutes, this was
actually Zaza’s most productive season in many years as well.
Pachulia started 44
games; 37 more than the previous season and his most starts since 2006-2007.
His MPG increased by 12.6 from the year before and was his most since 06-07.
With this in mind, it
was natural that Pachulia’s per game stats would increase. He saw increases
from the previous season in P/G (+3.4), R/G (+3.7), A/G (+0.7), S/G (+0.5), and
B/G (+0.2). His P/G, A/G, S/G, and B/G were his best since 2006-2007, and his
R/G was his highest number since 2005-2006. He put up 11 DD; 7 more than the previous
season and his highest total since 2006-2007. Zaza’s TOV/G increased by 0.5
from the year before which wasn’t too bad.
But it wasn’t just that
Zaza was playing more minutes and therefore having bigger per game numbers. That
was certainly part of it, but he also seemed to play better in this bigger
role. His ATO improved by 0.14 from the previous season. He raised his FG% .038
from the previous season and posted the best number of his career in that area.
He also established a career high in DR/G (5.2). He did see his FT% dip by
.013.
Zaza’s advanced metrics
were also up. He raised his PER by 1.62 from the year before to 14.04, his best
mark since 2008-2009. While his TS% fell by 0.5 from the year before to 55.7, he
raised his EFG by .038 to .499. He increased his WS/48 by .029 from the year
before to .147, setting a new career high.
In terms of per 48
minute production, it was a mixed bag for Zaza. His P/48 fell by 0.2 from the
year before and was the worst mark of his career. His A/48 rose slightly from
the year before, while his B/48 declined slightly. His S/48 increased by 0.3,
while his R/48 number was up 0.6 from the season before and was the 2nd
best mark of his career. In addition, his TOV/48 dropped 0.3 from the year
before and was the best of his career.
Floor
Time Stats/Team Rankings (Unqualified)
MIN%: 50% (4th)
+/-
Per 48:
+2.4 (T-9th)
ON/OFF
48:
-2.0 (T-10th)
+/-
W-L-T:
28-28-2
WIN%: 50.0 (T-11th)
ON/OFF
OPHP:
-1.6 (8th)
ON/OFF
DPHP:
+1.4 (10th)
ON/OFF
NPHP:
-3.0 (13th)
Team
Leaderboard: Zaza led the Hawks in OR
(154), OR/G (2.7), R/48 (13.4), OR% (11.1), and R%
(16.4).
He was 2nd on the team in DR (303), REB (457), DR/G (5.2), R/G (7.9), 2P% (.499), B/48 (0.85),
TOV/48 (2.4), DD (11), DR% (21.5), ORAT (111), and WS/48 (.147).
He was tied for 2nd on the team in DEF-PPP (1.03).
He was 3rd on the team in STL (55), BLK (29), S/G (0.9), B/G (0.5), TOV/G (1.4), S/48
(1.61), B% (1.4), DRAT (99), and DWS (2.8)
On the negative side, Zaza was tied for 1st on the team in PF (172) and Flagrants (1).
He was tied for 3rd on the team in Techs (2).
NBA
Leaderboard: Here are Zaza’s NBA Leaderboard
appearances.
OR/G (21st)
R% (21st)
DRAT (23rd)
OR% (25th)
OR (T-26th)
R/G (27th)
R/48 (27th)
DR% (28th)
DR/G (30th)
REB (31st)
DWS (32nd)
DR (41st)
DD (T-45th)
WS48 (49th)
2P% (52nd)
Here are Zaza’s
appearances on the NBA Leaderboard in negative
stats.
Flagrants (T-16th)
PF (T-25th)
Season
Review: Zaza played in 58 of 66 games for the Hawks in
2011-2012, making 44 starts, and averaging 28.3 MPG. Zaza played in each of the
team’s first 47 games, and in 58 of the first 59 before missing the final 7
games of the season. He came off the bench in the first 11 games, and in 14 of
the first 16, but then started in each of his final 42 games played.
Pachulia came off the
bench in each of the Hawks first 11 games. With Al Horford going down in game
11 (January 11th), Zaza started the next 2 (January 12th and14th),
but then went back to coming off the bench in 3 straight after that (January 16th
through 20th).
Larry Drew had said
that he preferred to start Jason Collins and then have Zaza come off the bench.
Soon, however, he was forced to turn to Pachulia as a full-time starter. Zaza
started the next 31 games from January 21st through March 21st.
On March 23rd,
Zaza missed his first game of the year due to an Achilles (calf) strain. He
came back and started the next 11 games before hurting his left foot 11 minutes
into the game in Orlando on April 13th.
Originally X-rays were
negative, and Zaza was diagnosed with a sprained left foot. However, Zaza
missed the final 7 games of the year and was never able to come back in the
postseason. Eventually the Hawks admitted he was dealing with a bone chip in
his foot.
Pachulia’s minutes increased
significantly after January due to all of the injuries. Production wise, Zaza
was basically consistent throughout the year.
2012
Postseason Grade: F
Grade
Explanation: This is harsh but it’s reality. He was
unavailable due to injury after being the team’s starting center for most of
the season. He was also one of the few players on the team making a non-minimum
salary. More than anything else, his toughness and tenacity down low was missed
against Boston.
Statistics:
NA
(Did not play at all in the playoffs)
Postseason
Review: The Hawks kept open the possibility of Zaza being
ready for the playoffs until the last moment. It was a situation similar to
Horford’s, with conflicting reports coming out about every facet of the injury
(what the injury was; how serious it was; how his recovery was coming along;
how close he was to returning; etc.). Eventually they said he wouldn’t be ready
for the start of the series. Then they pushed the time table back again, saying
he wouldn’t be ready until late in the series. Finally they said he wouldn’t be
able to play in the 1st round at all and might never make it back
regardless of how far the Hawks advanced.
People outside of
Atlanta did not seem to make much of the loss of Zaza, and they probably would
mock any suggestion that Pachulia’s absence had a major impact on the series.
Many Hawks fans would disagree. It may have been a misjudgment on my part, but
I felt leading up to the series that if Zaza played we had a better chance of
beating the Celtics than ever before. If he didn’t play, I thought we would
lose a competitive series. Seeing how tough the Celtics were in the series and
how far they eventually got in the playoffs, it may seem silly to claim that he
could have made that much of a difference, but I still maintain he would have
changed things.
Obviously, without
Pachulia the Hawks were down another big man, which was key. Jason Collins was
forced into a starting role and the roles of Ivan Johnson and Erick Dampier
grew larger, and none of that was ideal. Zaza would also have been the perfect
answer to the unsung Boston players who do the dirty work: Hollins and
Stiemsma. Pachulia’s toughness in general was sorely missed. Pachulia has
always been able to match KG’s nastiness and get under his skin in a way that
few others have. There’s no doubt in my mind that Zaza would have changed the
series.
Think how much
different things might have been in the final minutes of game 2 if Pachulia had
been available? Think about game 3 when Smith and Horford were out; you don’t
think Zaza could have helped? I’m not saying that the Hawks would have won the
series, but I do think it goes 7. And then there’s this: if Pachulia and
Horford had been able to make it back for the entire series, and if Josh had
stayed healthy, the Hawks would have won. In fact, I think they’d have won in
less than 7 games.
Moving
Forward: Zaza is one of Atlanta’s only bench players under
contract for next year. He hasn’t been mentioned in any deals, and one would
have to assume he’ll move back into his role as backup center next season. I think
he’ll do fine in that situation, and hopefully he can stay healthy. Injuries
haven’t been much of a problem for Pachulia in his career, but anytime a big
man starts having problems with his feet you have to be a little nervous.
Stat
Glossary
Total
Stats
Games
Played (GP)
Games
Started (GS)
Minutes
Played (MIN)
Field
Goal Percentage (FG%)
Three
Point Field Goal Percentage (3PT%)
Free
Throw Percentage (FT%)
Field
Goals Made (FGM)
Field
Goal Attempts (FGA)
Three
Pointers Made (3PM)
Three
Point Attempts (3PA)
Free
Throws Made (FTM)
Free
Throw Attempts (FTA)
Two
Pointers Made (2PM)
Two
Point Attempts (2PA)
Two
Point Field Goal Percentage (2P%)
Offensive
Rebounds (OR)
Defensive
Rebounds (DR)
Total
Rebounds (REB)
Assists
(AST)
Steals
(STL)
Blocks
(BLK)
Turnovers
(TOV)
Personal
Fouls (PF)
Points
(PTS)
Flagrant
Fouls (Flagrants)
Technical
Fouls (Techs)
Ejections
(Ejections)
Foul
Outs (DQ’s)
Double-Doubles
(DD)
Triple-Doubles
(TD)
Per
Game Stats
Minutes
Per Game (MPG)
Field
Goals Made Per Game (FGM/G)
Field
Goal Attempts Per Game (FGA/G)
Three
Pointers Made Per Game (3PM/G)
Three
Point Attempts Per Game (3PA/G)
Free
Throws Made Per Game (FTM/G)
Free
Throw Attempts Per Game (FTA/G)
Two
Pointers Made Per Game (2PM/G)
Two
Point Attempts Per Game (2PA/G)
Offensive
Rebounds Per Game (OR/G)
Defensive
Rebounds Per Game (DR/G)
Total
Rebounds Per Game (R/G)
Assists
Per Game (A/G)
Steals
Per Game (S/G)
Blocks
Per Game (B/G)
Turnovers
Per Game (TOV/G)
Points
Per Game (P/G)
Personal
Fouls Per Game (PF/G)
Per
48 Minute Stats
Points
Per 48 Minutes (P/48)
Rebounds
Per 48 Minutes (R/48)
Assists
Per 48 Minutes (A/48)
Steals
Per 48 Minutes (S/48)
Blocks
Per 48 Minutes (B/48)
Personal
Fouls Per 48 Minutes (PF/48)
Turnovers
Per 48 Minutes (TOV/48)
Ratio
Stats
Assist-to-Turnover
Ratio (ATO)
Steal-to-Turnover
Ratio (STO)
Steal-to-Personal
Foul Ratio (SPF)
Block-to-Personal
Foul Ratio (BPF)
Points
Scored Per Shot Attempt (PPS)
Percentage
Stats
Offensive
Rebound Percentage (OR%) (% of available OR player grabbed
while on floor)
Defensive
Rebound Percentage (DR%) (% of available DR player grabbed
while on floor)
Total
Rebound Percentage (R%) (% of available REB player grabbed
while on floor)
Assist
Percentage (A%) (% of teammate FG’s player assisted on
while on floor)
Steal
Percentage (S%) (% of opp’s possessions ended with steal
by player while on floor)
Block
Percentage (B%) (% of opp’s 2-pt FGA’s block by player
while on floor)
Turnover
Percentage (TOV%) (Turnovers per 100 possessions)
Hollinger
Stats
True
Shooting Percentage (TS%) (Takes into account value of 2-pt,
3-pt, and FT)
Assist
Ratio (ARAT) (% of possessions ended with Assist by
player)
Turnover
Ratio (TOVRAT) (% of possessions ended with TOV by
player)
Usage
Rate (USG%) (% of team plays used by player while on
floor)
Player
Efficiency Rating (PER) (Player’s per minute statistical
rating)
Value
Added (VA) (# of pts player adds to team above
replacement level)
Estimated
Wins Added (EWA) (# of wins player adds above replacement
level)
NBA
Reference.com Stats
Effective
Field Goal Percentage (EFG) (Adjusts for 3-pt being
worth more than 2-pt)
Offensive
Rating (ORAT) (Points produced by player per 100
possessions)
Defensive
Rating (DRAT) (Points allowed by player per 100
possessions)
Offensive
Win Shares (OWS) (# of wins contributed by player due to
offense)
Defensive
Win Shares (DWS) (# of wins contributed by player due to
defense)
Win
Shares (WS) (# of wins contributed by player)
Win
Shares Per 48 Minutes (WS/48) (# of wins contributed
by player per 48 minutes)
82games.com
Stats
Minutes
Percentage (MIN%) (% of team minutes player was on floor)
Net
Plus/Minus (+/-) (Net pts for team while player on floor)
Offensive
Points Per Possession (OFF-PPP) (Team Off PPP while
player on floor)
Defensive
Points Per Possession (DEF-PPP) (Team Def PPP while
player on floor)
Net
Plus/Minus Per 48 Minutes (+/- Per 48) (Team net pts per 48 of
PT for player)
On
Court W-L Record (+/- W-L-T) (# of gms team
outscored/didn’t outscore opponent while player was on floor)
Win
Percentage (WIN%) (W-L-T in win pct form)
Net
Production vs. Opponent (PRO/OPP) (How player fared vs.
counterpart)
Net
On Court vs. Off Court Per 48 Minutes (ON/OFF 48) (Team
+/- while player on/off court per 48 minutes)
Simple
Rating (SIMRAT) (Taken from combo PRO/OPP and ON/OFF 48)
Net
On Court vs. Off Court Offensive Points per 100 Possessions (ON/OFF OPHP)
(Team’s offensive points per 100 possessions while player on/off court)
Net
On Court vs. Off Court Defensive Points per 100 Possessions (ON/OFF DPHP)
(Team’s defensive points per 100 possessions while player on/off court)
Net
On Court vs. Off Court Points per 100 Possessions (ON/OFF NPHP)
(Team’s offensive points per 100 possessions vs. team’s defensive points per
100 possessions while player on/off court)
Clutch
Situations (CLUTCH) (4th quarter or overtime,
less than 5 minutes left, neither team ahead by more than 5 points)
If you’re confused
about a stat or abbreviation you can check this glossary. Many of the
abbreviations are ones I came up with just for shorthand. If you want further
explanation/info on the stats, check out the sites listed within the glossary.
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