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How data transformed the NBA
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How data transformed the NBA

The Impact of Data Analytics on Professional Basketball

The Rise of the Houston Rockets

  • An invisible, powerful force is lifting professional basketball to new heights.
  • This transformation is changing how this multi-billion dollar sport is played.
  • In elite sports, success and failure often hinge on the finest margins.
  • The Houston Rockets are recognized as one of the top teams in NBA basketball.
  • They feature some of the sport's biggest stars, including the 2018 NBA Most Valuable Player.

The Role of Data in Success

  • The Rockets' ascent from mediocrity to championship contenders is attributed to their use of big data.
  • Balancing data analysis with instinct has become crucial for team strategy.
  • Their recent success stems from a pioneering approach to crunching game-related data.
  • Daryl Morey, a computer scientist, plays a key role as the team's analytics guru.
  • Winning can be broken down into points per possession and acquiring extra possessions.

Transformative Discoveries Through Analytics

  • Ten years ago, Daryl Morey initiated a project to find winning formulas using video tracking systems.
  • Analysis revealed that two-point dunks and three-pointers yield better returns than long-range two-point shots.
  • A player only needs to make one-third of their three-point shots for it to be statistically advantageous compared to two-pointers.
  • There has been a consistent increase in attempted three-point shots over the past decade.
  • In the 2017–18 season, the Rockets set an NBA record for most three-pointers made.

Continuous Evolution in Player Selection

  • Every percentage point matters; extracting these percentages has become easier with advanced data analytics.
  • Professor Rajiv Maheswaran co-founded Second Spectrum, which provides granular data for all NBA teams.
  • Machine learning technology produces interactive visualizations that help teams analyze performance details effectively.
  • Focus on player movement and shot probability allows teams to quantify previously qualitative insights.
  • Data analysis influences player recruitment strategies favoring leaner and more agile players over larger but less skilled ones.

Future Implications of Real-Time Data

  • As basketball evolves, real-time data could soon be available at courtside for coaches during games.
Video description

NBA teams are changing the way they play basketball. The Houston Rockets, who boast stars like James Harden, have used data analytics to help them become championship contenders in recent seasons. Film supported by @DXCTechnology Click here to subscribe to The Economist on YouTube: https://econ.st/2xvTKdy Sponsored by DXC Technology. An invisible powerful force is lifting professional basketball to new heights, transforming how this multibillion-dollar sport is played and, crucially how to win. In elite sport the difference between success and failure is often the finest of margins. The Houston Rockets are one of the top teams in NBA basketball. They boast some of the sport's biggest stars, including the NBA's most valuable player in 2018. In the past decade the Rockets have risen from mid-table mediocrity to serious NBA championship contenders. But it's not just big names that have fueled this dramatic ascent - it's big data. The Rockets recent success owes much to their pioneering decision to start crunching data about every aspect of their game - and this is the man responsible. Computer scientist Daryl Morey is the sport's foremost data and statistics guru among NBA bosses. Ten years ago Daryl set out to find that winning formula. The Rockets were one of four NBA teams to install a pioneering video tracking system which mined raw data from games. What they discovered changed the way teams try to win. In the 1990s, long two-point shots from just inside the three-point line were common but Darryl's data analysis showed that statistically these shots provided the worst return. In the 2017-18 season the Rockets made more three-pointers than any other team in NBA history and this was a major reason they won more games than any of their rivals. Professor Rajiv Masheswaran co-founded Second Spectrum. The analytics company gathers and codes a vast range of increasingly granular data for all 30 NBA teams. Cameras now track and record 3D spatial data for every player and ball movement at 25 frames per second. Machine learning technology uses this huge volume of data to produce interactive visualizations allowing teams to analyze the minutiae of their performances and achieve marginal gains on court. There is a particular focus on all important data around player movement and the probability of making a shot. Qualitative data analysis has even changed the type of players that successful teams like the Rockets have players today are on average leaner and more agile. When it comes to recruiting new players from the college draft each season, poring over data on player performance has given the Rockets a winning edge. Basketball has constantly changed but it's about to enter a brave new world where data could be courtside in the hands of coaches, helping to swing a game as it happens. For more from Economist Films visit: http://films.economist.com/ Check out The Economist’s full video catalogue: http://econ.st/20IehQk Like The Economist on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheEconomist/ Follow The Economist on Twitter: https://twitter.com/theeconomist Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theeconomist/ Follow us on Medium: https://medium.com/@the_economist