Chasing Perfection: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at the High-Stakes Game of Creating an NBA Champion (33 page)

BOOK: Chasing Perfection: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at the High-Stakes Game of Creating an NBA Champion
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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

Lin, Jeremy,
67
,
173–174

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

    
three-point scoring,
66–68
,
73

Love, Kevin,
167
,
187–189
,
191
,
235
,
237

Lowe, Zach,
138
,
220–221

Lowry, Kyle,
173–174
,
194

luxury tax penalties,
204

Mack, Shelvin,
141–142

MacMullen, Jackie,
117

Maheswaran, Rajiv,
29 (quote)
,
30–34
,
43

Malone, Michael,
14
,
129
,
133

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

McHale, Kevin,
176
,
207

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

    
three-point scoring,
66–67
,
74

    
Tom Penn,
147–148

mental training, Kyle Korver’s,
228

Miami Heat,
70
,
72

    
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

Monroe, Greg,
146
,
202
,
210

Morey, Daryl,
8
,
40–41
,
57

    
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

Mozgov, Timofey,
190
,
236

Mudiay, Emmanuel,
124

Mullin, Chris,
132–133
,
195

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

NBA.com
,
44

Nelson, Aaron,
114
,
116

New Orleans Pelicans,
58
,
127–128

New York Knicks,
119
,
173
,
213

New York Mets,
10

New York Times,
10
,
60
,
105
,
155
,
213

Nichols, Jon,
210–211

Noah, Joakim,
124

Noel, Nerlens,
58
,
62

North American Soccer League,
9–10

no-star system, Hawks’,
178–186

nutrition,
114–115

Nylon Calculus
blog,
62
,
70
,
210

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’Neal, Shaquille,
20
,
114
,
117

O’Neil, Scott,
57
,
60–61

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

pace of play,
17
,
62–63
,
143
,
166

Paine, Neil,
211

“paint touches,”
100–101

Parker, Jabari,
88

Parker, Tony,
49
,
51
,
53
,
56

Parsons, Chandler,
174–175

Partnow, Seth,
62
,
210

Pascal, Blaise,
144

Paul, Chris,
33
,
173
,
177

Payton, Elfrid,
128
,
209
,
216

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

BOOK: Chasing Perfection: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at the High-Stakes Game of Creating an NBA Champion
2.29Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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