Cards for New Teams: Rhode Island 2017 and N. Iowa 2015 - and Dunk Range Explained in Walton vs. Tuttle

Northern Iowa's 2015 All-American center Seth Tuttle is the best player on the latest two Value Add Basketball Game teams (see the whole team and Rhode Island 2017 team below). In looking at his great card that leads to him score or be fouled, it may at first appear he is about the equal of Bill Walton. Walton has one more (traditional) 3-point plays, but Tuttle scores or is fouled on 1-15 to Walton's 1-14.

This is a good example of the importance of the Value Add Basketball Game "dunk range" and defensive adjustment to that range which adjusts cards for level of opposition faced and era. The fact is Tuttle's offensive scoring stats were roughly as dominant against the opponents he faced (the 2015 Missouri Valley Conference) so that part of the card is about as good as Walton's. However, Walton achieved about the same level of stats playing against the best teams in the country.

As we walkthrough the card, you will see the reason Walton calculates as the 2nd greatest college player ever in our mock draft, while Tuttle is not in the top 60 even though he was one of the top 10 players in the nation in 2015. 

As shown in the mock draft, an average team that added Walton would improve from 1.00 offense and defense (for a +0) to a 1.15 offense and 0.92 defense (+23). When running the same calculation, Tuttle improves the average team just to a +4 (1.02 offense and 0.98 defense).

Both players are dominant, getting teh ball on three numbers on the 8-sided die roll (you can pick 5, 7 and 8 or 5,6 and 8). 

Referring to the dunk chart in the instructions, Walton's 61-65 dunk range adjusted by Tuttle's Adj Dunk -2 leaves 11-63, which once adjusted by the chart is actually one higher than the maximum 51-66 so he scores any time that range comes up - regardless of what is on the 20-sided die.  On the flip side,  Tuttle's 51-52 dunk adjusted by Walton's defensive Adj Opp Dunk rate of -7 reverses his range with the ball to a 51-55 STOP range, meaning on 51-55 he automatically misses a shot and Walton grabs the rebound.

The wide range in level of opponents faced therefore is accounted for by the dunk range, and the actual advantage we would have expected Walton to have in his prime if playing against even an All-American like Tuttle.

Here are all 10 cards forboth of the new teams.