Keeping track of old friends

Now that 82games.com has released their first batch of “Production by Position” data for the 2009-10 season, I am able to calculate player information for teams other than the Milwaukee Bucks.  My first chart tracks the Win Contributions made by ex-Bucks on their new teams. You can see the chart if you click here.

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Thus far, Ramon Sessions of Minnesota and Charlie Villanueva of Detroit are making the biggest Win Contributions for their new squads.  Neither looked too good in their respective games against Milwaukee, but have apparently played well against other opponents.  Sessions is producing about what I would expect him to produce, while Villanueva is outproducing his career numbers at the moment.

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There are two reasons for Villanueva’s early improvement.  One, the Pistons are deploying him properly.  He’s okay as a power forward, but very poor at any other position.  Thus far the Pistons have wisely used him exclusively as a power forward.  Second, somehow the Pistons have him playing some defense, though his career numbers suggest that’s an aberration.

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Richard Jefferson’s numbers, like Sessions, are exactly where they were in Milwaukee… just slightly above average.  As I’ve mentioned in the past, that’s the reason the Bucks had to part with him.  Slightly above average production is not good enough for a guy who’s paycheck is way above average.  Interestingly, RJ continues to play much better at positions other than small forward, something he did last season for the Bucks as well.

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Mo Williams is off to an okay start with Cleveland.  His numbers are right in line with his career numbers.  Once again he appears to be a much more effective player at shooting guard than he is at point guard.

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Yi Jianlian of New Jersey is off to a good start for him.  But he did that last season too, and by the end of the season he was back to the same terrible production he provided the Bucks.

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Bobby Simmons is a schizo player.  Some seasons he can be just below average.  Other seasons he’s horrible.  This is starting out as one of his horrible seasons.

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TJ Ford of Indiana is playing at about the level he played in Milwaukee.  Interestingly, his best years came in Toronto, where he did much better than he has done in either Milwaukee or Indiana.  He must have fit the Toronto system well.

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