Great post. I would add to the first section on Alphas - I think a primary scorer (or offensive engine as I say) needs a sustainable competitive advantage they can use. You rightly identify speed and handles as two primary weapons. But I wouldn't discount others like shooting, strength, and feel. While guys like Curry and Lillard are certainly fast, they are not speedsters compared to most PGs and while they have good handles, neither excelled because their handles were in the top 5% of all PGs in the NBA. However, their shooting was so lethal (top 1%) that it forced defenders to press them and bite on fakes with even a sliver of daylight, which allowed them to get to the hoop, even with only good speed and handles for an NBA PG. And nitpicking a bit, but with guys like Giannis and LeBron, it's the combination of size/strength that has allowed them to consistently score.
All of this is to say, I'd open the aperture a bit on the definition. Beyond speed and handles, it's any consistently exploitable advantage. It's something I am always asking myself, especially at the top of the draft, what can this player excel at that they could exploit in the NBA to consistently create advantages, but over time I have found the set of potential advantages to be broader and widening my view has helped to identify some stars that I might have missed.
Great post. I would add to the first section on Alphas - I think a primary scorer (or offensive engine as I say) needs a sustainable competitive advantage they can use. You rightly identify speed and handles as two primary weapons. But I wouldn't discount others like shooting, strength, and feel. While guys like Curry and Lillard are certainly fast, they are not speedsters compared to most PGs and while they have good handles, neither excelled because their handles were in the top 5% of all PGs in the NBA. However, their shooting was so lethal (top 1%) that it forced defenders to press them and bite on fakes with even a sliver of daylight, which allowed them to get to the hoop, even with only good speed and handles for an NBA PG. And nitpicking a bit, but with guys like Giannis and LeBron, it's the combination of size/strength that has allowed them to consistently score.
All of this is to say, I'd open the aperture a bit on the definition. Beyond speed and handles, it's any consistently exploitable advantage. It's something I am always asking myself, especially at the top of the draft, what can this player excel at that they could exploit in the NBA to consistently create advantages, but over time I have found the set of potential advantages to be broader and widening my view has helped to identify some stars that I might have missed.