I was going to post this anyway but the Paul George comment thread convinced me it's a legit question.
In terms of FA signings, or a player's willingness to accept a trade to a team, how important are the individual games that player experiences, relative to the more objective evidence like overall W/L records?
Like tonight, PG has a great game, but the C's win. Does this move the needle for him? He already knows we are good, but does the actual experience of losing to us really impact him? If the C's have the same team and end up 52-30 with no wins against the Pacers, is he less likely to want to play for us? Compared to 52-30 but with three wins against the Pacers?
Speaking as a competitor in various things (but not at this level obviously), I would say those individual experiences are hugely important. Maybe out of proportion to their true value, in a way.
It's kind of interesting to think about, because it means these little things like sweeping the Pacers could mean a lot.
Worth noting, for example, that we swept Utah this year. Does that play into Hayward's decision, more than two wins against other teams would?
Thoughts?