Okay, so I’ve been messing around with some basketball stats, specifically looking at Naji Marshall and Derrick Jones Jr. It all started when I saw some talk online about how Naji might be taking over Derrick’s spot, especially since Derrick’s contract is up soon.
First, I pulled up their basic stats from this past regular season. Naji averaged 7.1 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game, while Derrick was at 8.6 points per game. It’s not a huge difference, but it got me thinking.
Then I remembered that Derrick Jones Jr. really stepped up his three-point shooting last season. I dug into that a bit more, but then I stumbled upon something more interesting. I found this one game during the play-in tournament where Naji went off. He had two steals and a block in the second quarter alone! That’s the kind of hustle play that really makes a difference in big games.
After that, I started looking at some head-to-head matchups between the two. There was this one time where Naji was dealing with an upper respiratory infection but still outperformed Derrick. I’m talking 21 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals across two games. Dude was playing sick and still balling out!
I also noticed some chatter about contracts. I saw that some people think Naji should get around $9 million per year for three years. Apparently, that’s similar to or maybe even less than what Derrick might be looking for. It’s all speculation, of course, but it’s interesting to consider.
Next, I checked out how a potential trade might impact the team’s salary cap. I read somewhere that making a move with these guys could put the team below the luxury tax apron. I’m no expert on that stuff, but it seems like it could be a smart financial move.
So, here’s what I ended up doing:
- Compared their regular season stats.
- Focused on Naji’s standout play-in tournament performance.
- Analyzed their head-to-head matchups, especially when Naji was sick.
- Considered the contract situations and potential salary cap implications.
Honestly, I just got caught up in all this data and speculation. It’s fun to think about how these things might play out. I’m not saying Naji is definitely going to replace Derrick, but it’s definitely something to keep an eye on. Who knows what will happen? But it’s always fun to dig into the numbers and see what they might tell us.
