Pro Basketball Forecast: 2005-2006 (Pro Basketball Prospectus) (Paperback)

~ John Hollinger (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

The roundball revolution continues, and John Hollinger is El Jefe. With the Pro Basketball Forecast™, Hollinger takes an in-depth and insightful look at the game. Downplayed are all the per-game statistics; in their place are points, rebounds, and assists per forty minutes. Hollinger also examines how many possessions each player uses and what percentage of his team’s rebounds he collects. Why? Because teams use players in different ways, and comparing everyone on an even scale makes much more sense.

When is a player averaging ten points a game more valuable than one averaging fifteen? How about if he plays twenty minutes to the latter’s forty and plays for a team that walks the ball up the court instead of fast-breaking? If he’s given a starting position or traded to a new team, he could "unexpectedly" break out—unexpected to everyone but Forecast™ readers, that is. Hollinger shows you which players, given more time or a fresh start, can ratchet their game up to all-star levels. He also shows which ones are scoring more than their backups solely because of proportion of time and should find themselves on the bench more this year.

On top of all this, Hollinger also continues to improve his groundbreaking method of valuing a player’s personal defense and sharpens his projections for regulars, offering predictions for the forthcoming season. Hollinger adds his thoughts on every team—where they’ve been and where they’re going—as well as a discussion of every player and draft pick. You may watch hoops, but you haven’t seen everything until you’ve seen the Forecast™.

About the Author

JOHN HOLLINGER authored the 2002–03 and 2003–04 editions of the Pro Basketball Prospectus. He also writes columns on basketball for SI.com, the New York Sun, and Basketball Digest. Since 1996, he’s spearheaded a more analytical approach to pro basketball from his Web site, Alleyoop.com. Hollinger lives in Atlanta.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Potomac Books Inc. (September 23, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1574889621
• ISBN-13: 978-1574889628
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #920,383 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you're an NBA fan then buy this book, October 6, 2005

By	Dylan Ginsburg - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Amazon Verified Purchase

Forget the magazines, this is the preview guide you want if you're an NBA fan. The statistical analysis is fascinating and every player in the league is covered along with overviews of each team. And it's not just a dry reference - the writing is full of wit and humor. This is my favorite sports book and I look forward to it each year.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars There should be more books/annuals like this, November 18, 2005

By	King Yao - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

In the past, I always enjoyed the Bill James Baseball Abstract annuals. These days, in each of the three major sports, there are quality annuals that try to follow in James's path. Baseball Prospectus, Pro Football Prospectus and John Hollinger's Pro Basketball Forecast. These are all annuals that look at the game from an intelligent, statistical standpoint. It's not all numbers though - it's the numbers that he uses to tell the story of a team or player. Having read Hollinger's previous annuals, I'm getting used to his style and some of the stats that he came up with. He's not afraid to give an opinion, even a very negative one...and that is GREAT for the reader! I will continue to pick up his annuals before the start of every basketball season. Leave the annual basketball magazines alone, and pick up this one. It's more expensive but more than worth the price compared to those magazines.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is amazing!, December 22, 2005

By	K. D. Jennings "stat man" (Tulsa,OK USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Similar to Pro Football Prospectus 2005, this book is FULL of revolutionary statistics AND opinion based on those stats. Who cares if the author prefers the Cavs, that's a prediction, and this book contains so much pertinent data that it doesn't matter who he picked . . . this book is ideal for any basketball fan who is tired of the usual points, rebounds and assists (per game) that you are used to seeing for the last 30-40 years.