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Perception is a funny thing, because we agree that how we interpret information is inherently subjective (and mainly based upon past learning and schemas); but identification of arguably objective events is also similarly subjective as well. Two people, or two hundred, could watch the same thing can come away with different opinions on just what they saw.
This is seen every second in sports. And as Utah Jazz fans we are far from the monolithic hive mind that some other fan bases could assume.
That all said, let's take a look at two players right now. They both are about the same size, and have very similar skill sets. Both were lotto picks, and both play for the same team, under the same coach, and were healthy (or close enough to it) for 12 games so far.
One of them has fallen quite a bit. He was known most for his ability to get to the line and slash. While his shooting has been very poor by his own standards this season he finds some ways to help out. He is generally lauded as a positive player for this team. The other player is a pariah. He has also fallen quite a bit, was known most for his ability to get to the line and slash, and is shooting poorly this year. He is not expected to be in the league for much longer.
Here are their stats:
| G | MPG | PPG | RPG | APG | TO | A:TO | SPG | BPG | FG% | FT% | 3PT% | FGA | FTA | 3PTA | PER | |||
| Player A | 12 | 27.9 | 11.5 | 3.0 | 2.6 | 1.9 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 0.1 | 36.1% | 72.5% | 21.7% | 11.1 | 4.3 | 1.9 | 11.1 | ||
| Player B | 12 | 28.5 | 10.3 | 2.7 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 0.9 | 0.9 | 0.3 | 36.8% | 72.7% | 31.3% | 9.5 | 2.8 | 4.0 | 8.6 |
Which one is playing better so far this season?
Oh, Player A is Alec Burks, and Player B is Richard Jefferson. Feel like changing your answer now?