Review: Panini Hoops Basketball 2014-2015 Basketball Cards

Picked up a couple of the Hoops brand cards.  The first I wasn't impressed with so I grabbed a second pack yesterday to see if the set could redeem itself.  Bottom line is I'm not that impressed.  I know this isn't Panini's signature brand but it just feels as they did the bare minimum here.  Last year's set was better though the 2011-2012 set was also just so-so.  The fronts are ok with the brand and team name on a colored strip at the top.  The photos are good quality though a few made me shake my head.  Can't see the player's face or just an awkward picture.  The team logo and player's name are on a black strip on the bottom.  As always I'd prefer to see the player's position on the fronts of cards.  The backs are black and white again and for me very hard to read without a magnifying glass.  Very frustrating.  The backs include the card number, team logo, NBA logo and player's position at or near the top.  The middle portion includes the player's name and some quick factoids on the player.  Next are his height, weight, birthdate, round drafted, and college attended.  Then come the stats for each season they've played - games, FG%, FT%, 3PM, RPG, APG, steals, blocks, points and PPG.  Why do we need totals for points, three pointers, steals and blocks.  I never, EVER, talk to other fans and say "did you see player X had 200 total steals last season?".  I, and everyone I know, talks in per game numbers.  "Player X average 2.5 steals a game." That is how the NBA world works.  I just don't get why they continue to put stat totals on NBA trading cards.  Frustrating.  Again I think this is an average set at best. 

Inserts I Pulled

The one plus of the cards I bought is my very first autograph card.  I pulled an Anthony Bennett Great Significance signature card (#11).  Pretty cool.  Bennett isn't a player I follow and is probably still a bust but he has improved ever so slightly this year in his first year in Minnesota.  Not sure what I will do with the card but odds are it will be coming to an online auction site near you soon.