The Big Number

The Big Number this week is about Russell Westbrook, but it says much more about the Denver Nuggets' offense and championship window. Join Tom Haberstroh and Dan Devine as they go through all the stats and make bold predictions.

(03:50) - THE BIG NUMBER: 87.5

(05:45) - Will the Nuggets make the playoffs?

(09:30) - Denver's lack of depth

(14:50) - Russell Westbrook's age

(20:10) - Nuggets need more from Murray & MPJ

(27:10) - Has Russ lost his burst?

(30:55) - Has the Nuggets championship window closed?

(36:15) - Over/unders

On this week's episode of The Big Number, Tom Haberstroh and Dan Devine dig into the stats and make bold predictions about the Denver Nuggets.

To start, Tom is very concerned with how bad the Denver offense has been with Russell Westbrook on the floor. He's starting to worry about their ability to make the playoffs this year.

Tom compares Westbrook at 35 to other similar guards to show how unique he is to still be playing in the NBA at this age, while Dan points out that the Nuggets have bigger problems in their starting lineup.

Dan came with a stat of his own, showing that Westbrook might finally be losing enough of his trademark burst and athleticism for it to be a problem. Meanwhile, Tom worries if the Nuggets have any way to get back into contention if their highest paid players don't start playing better.

Finally, as they did last week, the guys finish the show by picking sides on some fun over/unders.

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at Yahoo Sports Podcasts

On the very first episode of The Big Number, Tom Haberstroh digs into the numbers with Dan Devine to find out if centers shooting 3s in the preseason will translate into the regular season and beyond.

(01:30) - The Big Number: 79%
(04:00) - Which centers have improved their 3pt attempt rate?
(08:10) - Why Bam Adebayo's 3pt shooting might be real
(15:50) - Why Anthony Davis' 3pt shooting might be real
(18:45) - Will Isaiah Hartenstein shoot more 3s with OKC?
(27:30) - Why DeAndre Ayton's 3pt shooting might be real
(31:00) - PREDICTIONS: Which centers will shoot more from distance?

On the very first episode of The Big Number, Yahoo Sports contributor Tom Haberstroh digs into the numbers with Yahoo Sports senior NBA writer Dan Devine to find out if centers shooting 3s in the preseason will translate into the regular season and beyond.

According to Tom's big number, only about 20% of the centers that greatly increase their three-point attempts in the preseason carry that over to the regular season and beyond. But will the success of the Boston Celtics change that this year?

Tom and Dan discuss four players (Bam Adebayo, Anthony Davis, Isaiah Hartenstein & DeAndre Ayton) who have seen increased volume from long range this preseason and pour over the numbers to see if there is any sign that those guys will shoot more once the games really matter.

The guys finish the show by setting over-unders for the guys discussed and planting their flag on whether they think each guy will increase their three-point attempt rate dramatically this season.

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at Yahoo Sports Podcasts

THE BIG NUMBER with Tom Haberstroh & Dan Devine premieres Thursday 10/24. Subscribe and listen on all podcast platforms!

Each week, Tom Haberstroh pours over the data and digs through the stats to come up with THE BIG NUMBER –  the one metric that defines the NBA that week. Tune in as he and Dan Devine put Tom’s big number to the test and explain the one thing from the world of basketball that was hidden in plain sight. Listen to THE BIG NUMBER for a fun conversation filled with jokes, stats that you won’t hear anywhere else and become a smarter NBA fan in the process.