Chasing Perfection: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at the High-Stakes Game of Creating an NBA Champion (33 page)
Authors: Andy Glockner
Kubatko, Justin,
23
Lacob, Kirk,
163 (quote)
,
168
,
170–171
,
196–197
Leidersdorf, Eric,
109–111
Leonard, Kawhi,
49–50
,
54
,
56–57
,
63
,
199
Levenson, Bruce,
179
Levy, Ian,
52
Lickliter, Todd,
142
Lillard, Damian,
2
limitations of analytics,
139–141
linear-weight metric,
18
Linsanity,
174
Livingston, Shaun,
168
Los Angeles Clippers,
117
coaching staff,
142
early video coverage,
44
“Hack-a-Shaq” strategy,
20
offensive efficiency,
166
racism scandal,
179
Rockets’ performance against,
71
San Antonio Spurs’ roster management,
56–57
Second Spectrum data analysis,
31
,
33
Los Angeles Lakers,
219
Chris Paul trade,
173
Guth’s analysis of,
13–14
Houston Rockets’ trades,
173–174
Love, Kevin,
167
,
187–189
,
191
,
235
,
237
luxury tax penalties,
204
Mack, Shelvin,
141–142
MacMullen, Jackie,
117
Maheswaran, Rajiv,
29 (quote)
,
30–34
,
43
Malone, Moses,
13–15
Manley, Martin,
18–19
Manley Credits,
19
marginal product, players as,
12
Marquette University,
90
,
97–100
,
102
,
104
Matta, Thad,
142
Mbah a Moute, Luc,
215–216
McDaniel, K.J.,
64
McGee, JaVale,
64
McGuire, Frank,
16
McKown, Mark,
106
McNeilly, Jamie,
102–103
media coverage
as unpaid promotion,
10
criticism of the 76ers’ tanking strategy,
60
Golden State Warriors conference final,
164–165
in-arena graphics,
31
SportVU data,
44
Memphis Grizzlies
biometric data collection,
119
Hollinger’s analytics,
21
Rudy Gay trade,
128–129
Tom Penn,
147–148
mental training, Kyle Korver’s,
228
analytics applied to LeBron James,
72
Houston Rockets’ trades,
175
LeBron James’s return to Cleveland,
189
Middleton, Khris,
198–202
Milicic, Darko,
148
military technology, repurposing,
41–42
Mills, Patty,
49–50
Millsap, Paul,
112
,
164
,
180–181
,
184–185
,
222
Milwaukee Bucks
Bob Bellotti’s analytics,
19
Bogut’s career,
194–195
Khris Middleton’s development,
198–202
Teague offer,
180
three-point shot scores,
74
youth roster,
88
Minnesota Timberwolves,
24
,
151
,
187
minutes played,
52 (fig.)
draft status for college players,
78–79
Harden’s star potential,
204–205
Houston Rockets’ roster management,
175–176
injuries affecting Bogut’s time,
196–197
Michael Jordan,
147
San Antonio Spurs’ roster management,
48–54
misogi
purification ritual,
228
MOCAP company,
35–36
Moneyball
(Lewis),
24–25
criticism of,
72
expansion of analytics use,
134
Golden State’s statistical gains,
166
Moreyball Efficiency,
69–70
,
70 (fig.)
,
71
pursuit of the ideal team,
178
Rockets’ “almost” success,
172–174
Sports Illustrated
article,
26
Moser, Clay,
73
Mossman, Scott,
36–37
movement training,
114–118
Mudiay, Emmanuel,
124
Muscala, Mike,
185
Nash, Steve,
234
National Basketball Players
Association (NBPA),
119–120
NBA Draft Combine,
110
,
112–113
,
117
,
121
,
124–126
NBA League Pass,
7
New Orleans Pelicans,
58
,
127–128
New York Mets,
10
New York Times,
10
,
60
,
105
,
155
,
213
Nichols, Jon,
210–211
Noah, Joakim,
124
North American Soccer League,
9–10
no-star system, Hawks’,
178–186
nutrition,
114–115
O’Brien, Jim,
221
Oden, Greg,
202
off-court strategies
biometric data collection,
118–120
draft strategies,
57–66
workload versus rest,
147
See also
analytics
;
draft and trades
;
on-court strategies
;
training
offensive efficiency
Atlanta’s no-star system,
181–183
Channing Frye,
213–215
Golden State Warriors,
167–168
,
170–172
high school level play,
84–85
Houston Rockets,
176
James Harden’s influence on Rockets’ play,
177
,
204–208
Nikola Vucevic,
208–211
offensive efficiency versus three-point rate,
67 (fig.)
,
69 (fig.)
Philadelphia 76ers’ 2014–2015 season statistics,
61–63
real plus-minus and regularized adjusted plus-minus,
198–199
rebounds,
13–15
See also
shooting skills and strategies
Okafor, Jahlil,
86
,
88–89
,
96
,
124
Oklahoma City Thunder,
71
Ben Alamar’s analytics,
135
biometric data collection,
119
Houston Rockets’ trades,
174
Kevin Durant,
2
loss of James Harden,
202–208
Sam Presti,
26
Westbrook draft,
135–137
Oladipo, Victor,
209
Oliver, Dean,
20–21
,
24
,
26
,
132–134
,
139
on-court strategies,
47 (quote)
biometric data collection,
119–121
Calipari’s college players,
78–80
“ghost defenders” visual model,
138
Golden State Warriors,
166–172
high school play,
84–86
Kyle Korver,
228–232
Philadelphia 76ers’ 2014–2015
season statistics,
62–63
player health and wellness,
48
Sacramento Kings’ four-on-five defense,
131–132
San Antonio Spurs’ roster management,
49–57
Second Spectrum analysis,
30–31
SportVU data,
122–123
2015 NBA Finals,
235–240
video data collection,
36–38
“One Red Paperclip,”
65
O’Quinn, Kyle,
210
Orlando Magic
biometric data collection,
119
Channing Frye acquisition,
216
Grant Hill’s injuries,
116
Houston Rockets’ trade,
174
LeBron’s return to Cleveland,
189
Vucevic trade and performance,
209–212
youth roster,
88
outsourcing data collection,
40
P3 (Peak Performance Project) sports diagnostics,
106–113
,
124–126
,
227
Paine, Neil,
211
“paint touches,”
100–101
Parker, Jabari,
88
Parsons, Chandler,
174–175
Pascal, Blaise,
144
Pelton, Kevin,
9 (quote)
,
22
,
24–25
,
47–48
Penn, Tom,
147–149
performance
balancing with workload,
53–57
criticism of the 76ers’ tanking strategy,
59–60
data collection and analysis for,
118–124
factors affecting,
193–194
three-point shot,
68–69
See also
defensive efficiency
;
offensive efficiency
Perkins, Kendrick,
203
personnel issues, economic analysis of,
10
Philadelphia 76ers
biometric data collection,
119
buying in to analytics,
48
Guth’s analysis of,
13–15
Korver trade,
220–222
offensive efficiency versus three-point rate,
67 (fig.)
,
69 (fig.)
San Antonio Spurs’ roster management,
50
tanking strategy,
57–66
team rebuilding,
26
Vucevic pick,
209
youth roster,
88
Phoenix Suns,
232
biometric data collection,
119
Bogut’s injuries,
194
Channing Frye’s development,
214–216
early video data collection,
36
Milwaukee-Detroit-Phoenix trade,
198