Remove all preconceived biases and let the facts speak for themselves.
That's what we're aiming for with The Daily Guessing Game.
We provide the stats for Player A and Player B and you pick which one is better. It's really that simple ... but with the caveat that you don't know the identities before voting.
Sometimes it will be two incredibly similar players and a legitimately fair comparison. Sometimes it will be single years being compared and sometimes entire careers. Sometimes the sample sizes will be so ridiculous and disparate that it's beyond ludicrous. Sometimes it's entirely tongue in cheek and not to be taken too seriously.
This time we're going to change things up. One of the players below is Derrick Rose this season. Another is a superstar in his prime. But which is which?
Enough small talk ...
Player A is on top, Player B is on the bottom.
Without knowing any additional context, who are you rolling with?
We posed this same question to members of our global NBA.com Staff. Without knowing the identities of either player, here are the quick reasons for why they voted as they did.
Player A
I'm going with Player A because of the free throws, rebounding and blocks. You can't underestimate the value of getting to the line nearly three times more per game — Alex Novick ( @ANov_SN )
Player B
Not only is Player B scoring more points more efficiently, but they're also averaging nearly two more assists per game. The only real advantage Player A has over Player B is they get to the free-throw line more, which is important, but it's not enough for them to get my vote. I'm going to regret saying that, aren't I? — Scott Rafferty ( @crabdribbles )
Drumroll, please...
So who are the secret identities?
Player A is Derrick Rose per 36 minutes in his MVP season back in 2010-11.
Player B is Derrick Rose per 36 minutes so far here in 2019-20.
All stats provided above are courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com.
Just to be clear... Derrick Rose is not going to win the MVP. And Derrick Rose isn't better than when he won the MVP award. That's not the point here.
The point is that in a reserve role playing 24 minutes a game, Rose is producing on a per-minute basis at a level that rivals what he did on a per-minute basis at the absolute peak of his powers. This is the second consecutive strong season that the former MVP has put together and while that's no secret, I still think for the most part people are widely sleeping on just how great he's been this season.
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The views expressed here do not represent those of the NBA or its clubs.
