The Hardest Working Player on Every NBA Conference Finals Team
“He does the things that don’t show up in box scores.”
Those are the words we’ve used to describe the player who works as hard as anyone on the court but doesn’t have the statistical glory to prove it. Their labor is evident if you know what to watch for, but there’s no way to quantify it—until now.
SportVU, with their player-tracking wizardry, introduced a new set of metrics for the playoffs called “Hustle Stats." In special coordination with Bleacher Report, they have also provided access to five additional statistical categories which add more context and insight to evaluate “hard work.”
Using each of these categories, and a dash of the eye test, we named the hardest working player on each conference finalist. There was no precise formula because different positions and roles require different things. Therefore, evaluations are based on player roles and a degree of subjectivity.
Also, in cases where the choice came down to a star or a role player, I chose the latter because the stars get plenty of attention. This was a chance to identify some of the "regular Joes" who don't get as much recognition for what they do.
The Hustle Stats
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Before going further, let’s look at what went into determining who the players were. First, here are the “Hustle Stats” made available to the public, and the leaders.
Note: These stats are from the regular season, providing for a larger sample size.
Contested Shots (per game): Defensive player closes out and raises a hand to contest a shot prior to its release.
- Golden State Warriors: Draymond Green, 16.4
- Oklahoma City Thunder: Serge Ibaka, 14.0
- Cleveland Cavaliers: Tristan Thompson, 11.8
- Toronto Raptors: Jonas Valanciunas, 11.5
Charges Drawn (per game): Defensive player draws a charge.
- Golden State: Draymond Green, 0.50
- Toronto: Luis Scola, 0.40
- Cleveland: LeBron James, 0.25
- Oklahoma City: Nick Collison, 0.25
Deflections (per game): Defensive player gets his hand on the ball during a non-shot attempt.
- Toronto: Kyle Lowry, 3.2
- Cleveland: LeBron James, 2.9
- Oklahoma City: Russell Westbrook, 2.8
- Golden State: Andre Iguodala, 2.1
Loose Balls Recovered (per game): Defensive player gets his hand on the ball during a non-shot attempt.
- Cleveland: Kevin Love, 1.4
- Golden State: Stephen Curry, 1.3
- Toronto: Kyle Lowry, 1.1
- Oklahoma City: Russell Westbrook, 1.0
Screen Assists (per game): Offensive player sets a screen for a teammate that directly leads to a made field goal by that teammate.
- Toronto: Bismack Biyombo, 4.1
- Cleveland: Tristan Thompson, 3.9
- Oklahoma City: Steven Adams, 2.6
- Golden State: Andrew Bogut, 2.0
Special Hustle Stats
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Here are the stats released exclusively to Bleacher Report:
Offensive Distance/Game (per game; min. 50 games this season): Miles run in the half-court offense.*
- Toronto: DeMar DeRozan, 1.42 MPG
- Golden State: Stephen Curry, 1.34 MPG
- Oklahoma City: Russell Westbrook, 1.28 MPG
- Cleveland: LeBron James, 1.24 MPG
Contested Shot Percentage (per game; min. 40 FGA this season): Percentage of shots a player contests.
- Oklahoma City: Steven Adams, 56.2 percent
- Cleveland: Richard Jefferson, 52.1 percent
- Golden State: Shaun Livingston, 51.0 percent
- Toronto: Luis Scola, 37.6 percent
Closeout Distance Covered (per game; min. 40 FGA): Where the player is from the moment of the pass vs. the moment of the shot attempt. Takes the difference of those numbers to show how much ground each player covers on closeouts.
- Toronto: Cory Joseph, 11.7 feet
- Cleveland: Matthew Dellavedova, 11.1 feet
- Oklahoma City: Randy Foye, 10.0 feet
- Golden State: Harrison Barnes, 9.0 feet
Closeout IScore (Influence Score): A higher IScore suggests the player covered more distance on closeouts and was able to contest shots more closely.
- Cleveland: Matthew Dellavedova, 21.7
- Toronto: Cory Joseph, 19.3
- Golden State: Klay Thompson, 18.7
- Oklahoma City: Randy Foye, 18.7
Got Back on Defense Possessions/Game: A player getting to within 35 feet of the hoop before the ball gets there, (i.e., who gets back on defense most often).
- Golden State: Draymond Green, 68.5 Poss/Gm
- Oklahoma City: Kevin Durant, 67.1 Poss/Gm
- Toronto: Kyle Lowry, 66.1 Poss/Gm
- Cleveland: LeBron James, 62.4 Poss/Gm
*Miles Per Game has been available for some time, but that only tells how much distance a player covers, which isn't a great indicator due to fast breaks, getting back on defense, etc. So, Offensive Distance is a better number to see how much a player works offensively.
4. Toronto Raptors: Cory Joseph
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Kyle Lowry's work ethic is beyond reproach, but since he has the star status already, I opted for Lowry's backup, Cory Joseph.
Picked 29th in the 2011 NBA draft by the San Antonio Spurs, Joseph was not just given a spot on the team. He had to earn it through 16 assignments to the Austin Spurs, San Antonio's D-League affiliate. He improved to the point that, when he hit free agency last summer, the Raptors gave him a four-year, $30 million contract to be their backup point guard.
Joesph's his motor never stops running on either end of the court. His 1.07 Offensive Miles per Game seems low until you factor in he's a backup player. If he got Lowry's minutes, he'd have 1.54, which would lead all players still in the postseason.
On defense, he leads the Raptors in Closeout Distance Covered (11.7) and Closeout IScore (19.3). Closing out on shooters is one of those habits that only shows up on the scoreboard, not the scorecard.
He's only 6'3", but his aggressiveness in leaving no shot unchallenged is reflected by the fact he held three-point shooters 0.6 percent below their norm, in spite of often playing shooting guard and giving up size.
*If I were just considering performance this postseason, or even the last series, Bismack Biyombo would have been the choice, (and nearly was anyway). Consider him an honorable mention nod.
Contested Shots: 6.4
Charges Drawn: 0.0
Deflections: 0.7
Loose Balls Recovered: 1.0
Screen Assists: 0.2
Offensive Distance per Game: 1.06
Contested Shot Percentage: 31.0
Closeout Distance Covered: 11.7
Closeout IScore: 19.3
Got Back on Defense Poss./Game 47.2
3. Oklahoma City Thunder: Steven Adams
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The Thunder upset the San Antonio Spurs in the second round largely because of the Stache Brothers: Adams and Enes Kanter. When the Thunder's behemoths were on the court together, they rebounded 45.1 percent of their own misses, 84.1 percent of their opponents' and 66.7 percent overall.
Adams was particularly special, averaging 11.0 points, 11.8 rebounds and 1.0 blocks while shooting 70.3 percent from the field, according to Basketball-Reference.com. He doesn't log a lot of miles on offense because of his position, but he's working every minute.
His impact on defense, though, is what earned the spot here. A 6.2 Contested Shot Percentage on the season is borderline surreal.
According to NBAWowy.com, the Thunder give up 31.7 percent of their shots within three feet, and a field-goal percentage of 58.4 percent on those shots with Adams playing. When he sits, those numbers climb to 33.4 percent and 61.1 percent, respectively. Thunder opponents get only 13.6 percent of their attempts from four to nine feet and shoot 36.3 percent when Adams is there. Without him, it's 14.8 and 38.4 percent.
When you consider all that, it's evident Adams' omnipresent defense is the primary reason shooters hit 7.3 percent below their season average when he is the closest defender.
In addition, he offers 2.6 screen assists per game and is lethal cutting to the rim without the ball. Those were especially backbreaking during the Spurs series, when the defense had seemingly shut everything else down, yet Adams would spring loose for a dunk late in the shot clock.
Contested Shots: 13.3
Charges Drawn: 0.0
Deflections: 1.0
Loose Balls Recovered: 0.6
Screen Assists: 2.6
Offensive Distance per Game: 0.97
Contested Shot Percentage: 56.2
Closeout Distance Covered: 6.1
Closeout IScore: 17.2
Got Back on Defense Poss./Game: 44.9
2. Cleveland Cavaliers: Matthew Dellavedova
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Matthew Dellavedova’s per-game numbers might seem a small for this list, but remember that he’s playing only 16 minutes per game in the playoffs.
He’s contesting 9.7 shots per 36 minutes, which is the third-highest rate on the Cavaliers, only trailing Tristan Thompson and Kevin Love. And bigs, by nature of the position, will be challenging more shots.
Dellavedova’s impressive numbers on closeouts get him the nod. He covers the most distance and challenges effectively.
During the regular season, opponents shot 2.4 percent below their season averages when attempting three-point shots against him. It’s not hard to connect the dots here and conclude that it might have something to do with Dellavedova’s aggressive closeouts.
Delly’s ubiquitous play and tenacity is evident elsewhere, too. He spends so much time on the floor going after loose balls that he could have a second career as a mop. His ferociousness, at times, crosses the line into unintentionally dangerous, so he’s gotten a bit of a “dirty player” label.
But even those calling him that will admit his intensity is admirable.
Contested Shots: 4.3
Charges Drawn: 0.0
Deflections: 0.3
Loose Balls Recovered: 1.0
Screen Assists: 0.5
Offensive Distance per Game: 0.96
Contested Shot Percentage: 33.9
Closeout Distance Covered: 11.1
Closeout IScore: 21.7
Got Back on Defense Poss./Game: 45.8
1. Golden State Warriors, Draymond Green
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Draymond Green plays with a passion that few have. He is a relentless force, eroding the will of his opponents with bumps, tenacity and superb defense.
His 16.4 Contested Shots per Game is the highest of any player this postseason. Not only does he defend a lot of shots, he's effective doing so. During the regular season, opponents were held 6.1 percent below their season averages. During the postseason, within 10 feet of the rim, opponents are shooting 24.3 percent below their norm when he's the closest defender.
His contested shot percentage is lower than you'd expect, but that's because opponents are looking away from him for an easier shot.
Green's defense is so extraordinary because of how versatile it is. He and Paul Millsap are the only two players to contest 10 two-point attempts and five three-point attempts per game this postseason. And according to his shot chart at NBASavant.com, he holds opponents below the league average from every area of the court.
On offense, he's adept at stretching the floor with his 1.2 threes per game, posting up taller players by backing them down with his remarkable strength, setting up teammates with quick decisions—as evidenced by his 7.4 assists per game—or setting screens with 1.7 Screen Assists per game. He is the only player in the league with over five assists and 1.5 Screen Assists.
Green's well-rounded play on both sides of the ball is a result of his tremendous work ethic. As a former second-round draft pick, his work hasn't just been on the court. It's also been during the offseasons as he becomes one of the NBA's most special players.
Contested Shots: 16.4
Charges Drawn: 0.5
Deflections: 2.0
Loose Balls Recovered: 0.0
Screen Assists: 1.7
Offensive Distance per Game: 1.18
Contested Shot Percentage: 37.6
Closeout Distance Covered: 8.5
Closeout IScore: 17.1
Got Back on Defense Poss./Game: 68.5
Stats courtesy of NBA.com unless otherwise noted.
