After All That, What Did We Learn?

The pandemic prompted project that is the US Supersonics Basketball Club wrapped up its inaugural season this week with a final victory over Erebuni BC in the Armenia A-League.

So after an interim assessment on the lessons learned after the first roster of 12 unsigned Americans completed their month of ten professional games in November, did the statistical outcomes hold true for the duration? Let's find out.

"Wins & Losses Never Mattered"

As previously reported, the Sonics were 4-6 to open the season and finished 11-17 after 28 games, good for fifth in the standings. For context the top team, Vahakni City went 22-5 with one game remaining and a roster built around the two best Armenian National Team players, one of which is the league's Assist and +/- leader running the point along with their league maximum four imports.

Yet, their place in the standings was never how the success of the Sonics was to be judged, rather the number of their players who signed elsewhere with other clubs. To that end, 15 of the total 34 players were offered professional deals and that 44% betters the more traditional US based exhibition events like the Eurobasket Summer League that reports 35% of their players signed overseas.

Regarding the conversion rate from the first roster (41% or 5/12 players received offers) across to the entire season, that first factor seems to have stood the test of time. Positionally, we found the first group saw a balance of those offered deals with two wings, two bigs and one point guard heading elsewhere. At season's end, nine wings, four bigs and two point guards moved on showing a demand for wings far outstripping their more positionally limited teammates.

Some statistical oddities from the season long team statistics threw up the Sonics scoring the most points in the 4th quarter, tallying the most assists in the 1st quarter, gathering the most offensive rebounds in the 4th quarter but the most defensive rebounds in the 1st quarter. Similarly, they totaled the most steals in the opening period, but most blocks in the final stanza.

"Signee Statistical Success"

Returning to the factors of those signed compared to those who didn't comparing the findings of the first roster to the entire season:

- Minutes weren't the factor in those signing held true. Two of the players signed were 10th and 11th in minutes per game, while the players 2nd and 3rd in minutes failed to garner an offer. Signed players played 00:02:01 less than unsigned players and no player averaged over 30 MPG all year long, one reason why no Sonics player registered a top five finish in the league's individual statistical standings.

- Field Goal Percentage (FG%) was a factor. Three of the top four shooters percentage wise got signed, with the three signed to contracts, rather than trials, shooting over 60%. Not surprisingly the worst four shooters by percentage all failed to move on and were all point guards shooting under 30%. Signed players were better from 2FG by 5%, but worse from 3FG (1.5%) and FT (2.1%) but signed players crucially had more FTA than those unsigned.

- Points Per Game (PPG) wasn't a huge factor. Efficiency (EFF) and Plus Minus (+/-) were, as three of the top five scorers didn't get an offer, while three players in the lowest third of PPG across the season, signed elsewhere. Signed players scored less than 1ppg more than unsigned and were more EFF (+2pg) and had a much better +/- (+5pg). This factor held true across the entire season.

"Timing Is Everything"

If timing is everything, then is when players joined the Sonics an issue in their success in signing elsewhere?

Team 1 played from Oct-Nov with 7/12 players receiving offers elsewhere (58%) and over 10 games, the team won 4 and lost 6 (40%). This group was responsible for 10 statistical leaders for the Sonics' season.

Team 2 played from Nov-Dec with 4/10 players receiving offers elsewhere (40%) and over 9 games, the team won 3 and lost 6 (33%). This group was responsible for 6 stat leaders for the Sonics' season.

Team 3 finished out the season from Dec-Jan with 4/11 players receiving offers elsewhere (36%) and over 9 games, the team won 4 lost 5 (44%). This group was responsible for 7 statistical leaders for the Sonics' season.

So, Team 1 registered the best statistics in telling categories like 2FG, 3FG and FT% of all three rosters, along with DRpg, ASTpg, EFF all while winning 44% of stat categories and saw the highest percentage of players receive offers.

Early season changes by other teams tended to be prevalent but all signings were made in-season rather than after the pre-season. Injuries and extended poor form from more patient front offices in the mid part of the season resulted in fewer signings in the middle block of the year. While last minute changes prior to the playoffs based on matchups in the bracket were the reason for team 3's pickups. So there are reasons for signings throughout the year but first in really is best dressed when it comes to volume of opportunities.

"So, What Do I Have To Do To Get Signed?"

After the first month the statistics and signings produced four factors, some of which continued to hold true as the season progressed and different groups played. So the takeaways for unsigned players looking to answer that eternal question are:

* Winning minutes matters. Unsigned professionals shouldn't take possessions off with signed players recording a +3.5 margin over those who went home without an offer.

* Being efficient means more than scoring. Hit the glass, make plays and don't cough it up. Successful players were almost 20% more efficient statistically than those unsigned.

* Take shots you can make didn't hold up over time with unsigned players shooting marginally better from the arc and line but in both cases the margin was less than 2%.

* Points aren't as important as efficiency and winning possessions. Be well rounded. Signed players only averaged 0.9ppg more than unsigned but had wider +/- and EFF margins.

"What Next?"

The 2020/21 pandemic shortened season is over for the US Supersonics as they step aside to allow the remaining seven "traditional" clubs with just four imports play out the cup and playoffs.

The Sonics will be back this summer for the 2021/22 pre-season and unsigned players or coaches interested in increasing their exposure and getting real in-season reps should contact the team at www.ussupersonics.com

Any readers interested in the full statistical results can also get in touch at the website above or message the front office on social media @ussonics