Good article, but, IMO, wrong conclusion.<p>Instead of “In short, RAPM has made me appreciate the importance of asking, before all else – how can my actions most positively contribute to whatever I am trying to achieve.”, I think that should be “whatever <i>we</i> are trying to achieve”.<p>Isn’t the message that some of those high-scoring/high blocking players do better for themselves than for the team?<p>That player who rarely blocks a shot because opponents do not dare try shooting will be less famous and, likely, less well paid than the star who makes the spectacular dunks, even if that slightly increases the risk of failing to score.
I think it depends on what one considers the purpose of basketball to be. For entertainment and spectacle, high-box-score players are worth more. For pure team competition, RAPM is worth more. The latter is important because you generally want to win, but the former is what really draws fans in.