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2021 | Book

Da Real MVP Read chapter Read first chapter

Triple Double

Using Statistics to Settle NBA Debates

Author: Dr. Arilova A. Randrianasolo

Publisher: Springer International Publishing

Book Series : SpringerBriefs in Statistics

Part of: Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik" , Springer Professional "Technik" , Springer Professional "Wirtschaft"

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About this book

This book provides empirical evidence and statistical analyses to uncover answers to some of the most debated questions in the NBA. The sports world lives and breathes off of debates on who deserves an MVP award, and which athletes should be considered all-stars. This book provides some statistics-backed perspectives to some of these debates that are specific to the NBA.

Was LeBron snubbed of an MVP in the 2010-2011 season? Why has the G.O.A.T. debate turned into LeBron vs. Jordan….Did Kobe get overlooked? How come Klay Thompson didn’t get All-NBA honors in the 2018-2019 season? This book explores these questions and many more with empirical evidence.

This book is invaluable for any undergraduate or masters level course in sport analytics, sports marketing, or sports management. It will also be incredibly useful for scouts, recruiters, and general managers in the NBA who would like to use analytics in their work.

Table of Contents

Frontmatter
Chapter 1. Da Real MVP
Abstract
This chapter provides a statistics-based perspective of how the MVP award should be awarded in the NBA. Specifically, this chapter empirically examines the variables which contribute to wins in the NBA regular season, then based on these findings, calculates which players should deserve the award. Team level data was collected for 5 seasons in the NBA (2014–2019), and a multiple regression analysis was conducted to discover which variables influenced winning in this period. The results showed that points per game, field goal percentage, defensive rebounds, steals per game, and turnovers were significant in influencing winning. A value score was derived from these significant predictors and player level statistics for the seasons between 2014 and 2019 were collected to calculate da real MVP for each of those seasons.
Arilova A. Randrianasolo
Chapter 2. A Tribe of Goats
Abstract
One of the most unresolvable debates in the NBA revolves around the question of who the greatest player of all time is. Some argue Jordan, others Lebron, and others argue for Kareem or Bill Russell. This chapter analyzes the criteria to be the G.O.A.T. and makes arguments for who the real G.O.A.T. is. Team level statistics from 1956 to 2020 were collected to conduct a multiple regression analysis on what contributed to winning in (1) the overall period of 1956–2020, (2) throughout three different eras of the NBA, and (3) just in the playoffs rather than the regular season. The significant predictors of winning from the regression analysis were used to calculate G.O.A.T. score for players in the aforementioned three categories.
Arilova A. Randrianasolo
Chapter 3. The Myth of the Super-Team
Abstract
This chapter discusses whether or not the super-team phenomenon is real. Some NBA fans argue that Kevin Durant going to the Golden State Warriors in 2016, or Lebron teaming up with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosch was an easy “cop-out” by forming a super-team. However, does the super-team really exist, or have championship teams always had more than one superstar? This chapter empirically investigates this question with a series of analyses of variance between super-teams and non-super-teams with regard to regular season winning percentage, number of games it took to get to the finals, and number of games won in the finals.
Arilova A. Randrianasolo
Chapter 4. Hey Now, You are an All-Star…But are you All-NBA?
Abstract
The All-NBA selection can have long-term financial impact on a player’s career; therefore, the selection should be fair. This chapter investigates how the All-NBA selections should be chosen with empirical analyses based on the criteria set by the league. Player level data was collected for the years 2015–2020, and a series of analyses of variance was conducted to compare the player efficiency ratings (PER) of players who got first team All-NBA, players who got second team All-NBA, players who got third team All-NBA, and players who had top 15 PERs in the league but did not get selected to an All-NBA team. The results showed that (1) first team All-NBA selections have the highest PER in comparison to the other groups; (2) second team All-NBA selections have higher PER than the third team, but there is no difference between the PER scores of second team All-NBA selections and the PER scores of the players who were not selected to any All-NBA teams despite having had top 15 PER scores; and (3) third team All-NBA selections had lower PER scores than the players who were not selected to any All-NBA teams despite having had top 15 PER scores.
Arilova A. Randrianasolo
Chapter 5. Small Ball in a Big Man’s Game
Abstract
This chapter analyzes the conditions under which “small ball” lineups are effective in the NBA. It does so by investigating the variables that made the Golden State Warriors’ “Hampton 5 lineup” so successful, all while contrasting the Houston Rockets’ shortcomings with the small ball lineup. A series of mediation analyses utilizing the PROCESS macro in SPSS 26 revealed that small ball is effective under the condition when the small ball team has more assists and a higher 3-point percentage than the opposing team. It is important to note that both of these components have to occur for small ball to be effective, and not just one of the other.
Arilova A. Randrianasolo
Chapter 6. Is the Clutch Gene Real?
Abstract
This chapter focuses on what is known in the sports world as the “clutch gene.” Many analysts, fans, and journalists believe that some players have an ability to perform under pressure more than others, and this chapter statistically investigates this claim. A series of paired sample t tests were conducted to investigate differences in player shooting percentages between clutch shots and regular shots. The analyses showed that no significant differences exist thus enforcing the notion that the clutch gene may be a manifestation of bias.
Arilova A. Randrianasolo
Chapter 7. Offense Wins Games but Does Defense Win Championships?
Abstract
This chapter focuses on examining which offensive and defensive variables contribute to winning championships. In other words, in this chapter, the analyses seek to uncover which offensive and defensive factors contribute to winning finals games. To investigate this question, statistics were collected for teams that played in the finals between 2010 and 2020. A multiple regression analysis revealed that offensively, overall field goal percentage and 3-point percentage significantly contributed to winning finals games, while defensively the only significant variable was defensive rebounds. These results show that both defense and offense matter in winning chips.
Arilova A. Randrianasolo
Chapter 8. Strategic Implications of the Findings in this Book
Abstract
This chapter discusses the implications of the results of the analyses conducted in Chaps. 1–7. The implications are for general managers, coaches, journalists, media members, and TV personalities covering the NBA.
Arilova A. Randrianasolo
Chapter 9. Debates that Future Work Should Consider
Abstract
This chapter provides guidance to future writers or scholars who may want to investigate debated topics in the NBA by providing five topics that may be of interest.
Arilova A. Randrianasolo
Metadata
Title
Triple Double
Author
Dr. Arilova A. Randrianasolo
Copyright Year
2021
Electronic ISBN
978-3-030-79032-5
Print ISBN
978-3-030-79031-8
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-79032-5

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