An article in Grantland, provocatively titled “How Do You Measure Hustle in the NBA? There’s a Stat for That” got me wondering about the Toronto Raptors. If there is going to be a master “hustle stat” created by the NBA, as appears likely, how would our players fare in the rankings?
One name would certainly appear near the top – Kyle Lowry. The unofficial “working” algorithm heavily favours players who take charges, and very few (h/t: HoopsManifesto.com) do it better than our tough little point guard. Among backcourt men last season, Lowry was bested only by the clever and high-scoring Monte Ellis.