Basketball: Use Data Better

Knowing the opposing coach helps. In a close game, the opposition trailed with a final possession coming out of a time out. I told our players to anticipate a high ball screen and to trap the ball handler. We stopped them. 

Sport asserts conflicts. Ed Smith, former English National Cricket selector, emphasizes the blend between data and the human element in Making Decisions. 

Conflicts are inevitable - team versus individual focus, offense versus defense, data versus intuition.

Imagine that our offense overweights PnR play. Data allows analysis of screen rejection, ballhandler drives, pass to roller, pick and pop, ball handler shot (defense goes under), and other actions. Not only will it tell us what works and doesn't, it affords comparison with other actions (pass and cut, three-point shooting, complex screening - stagger, screen-the-screener, backscreen the roller). 

Smith recognizes the value of unpredictability as well. Both teams can access video and data sets. Imagine that both know that pick-and-roll with pass to the roller is both statistically overweighted and effective. What's the unpredictable move and possible counters? 

Maybe it's slipping the ball screen...

Or maybe the team almost never rejects the ball screen. 

Or in a key moment, a team reveals multiple actions not employed the whole game (e.g. Iverson action).

 

Use data if your analysis impacts winning.

Lagniappe. Winning is hard. That's why we value it. 

“Everything you want is on the other side of hard,” Monty Williams

Losing challenges you to fight for everything that comes with being a winner.

Never give up, never quit on yourself or your teammates. pic.twitter.com/7GQyf8mHFP

— The Winning Difference (@thewinningdiff1) December 26, 2023

Lagniappe 2. Multipurpose exercise. 

Post by @realgame.athletics

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Thanks to readers. You inspire me to work to add value daily.