Full Description
A pioneer in the field of basketball analytics, Dean Oliver introduced a framework to understand basketball through the use of statistics in his book Basketball on Paper. In his follow-up, Basketball beyond Paper, Oliver lays out both the technical and personal aspects of his twenty-year experience in the NBA as he helped build the analytics that changed the game. He also looks at the people and technology that pushed those analytics forward.
Oliver tells stories of how the insights came about, whether studying other teams or witnessing events with players, coaches, and management of his own teams. He highlights how great LeBron James and Steph Curry have been but also how critical "middle-class" or "glue" players such as Shane Battier, Andre Iguodala, and JJ Redick were to their teams. Oliver illustrates the paths taken by Most Improved Player Award winners such as Lauri Markkanen, Julius Randle, and Brandon Ingram. Basketball beyond Paper tells the stories of how analytics have helped basketball players, coaches, and management-and changed the game.
Contents
List of Illustrations
List of Tables
Acknowledgments
List of Abbreviations
1. Beyond Paper
2. The Journey, Part 1
3. Who Blamed J.R.?
4. Data, Data Everywhere, but Not the Time to Think
5. Beyond the Four Factors
6. Everyone Hates Defense
7. Cutting the Cake
8. The Journey, Part 2
9. Respect, George Karl, and Defending a Three-Point Lead
10. Playing Draft
11. Emotion
12. The Problem with Nonscorers
13. Make 'Em Better
14. Game Planning 'Em
15. The Journey, Part 3
16. What Does Frescobol Have to Do with It?
17. Draymond with a D
18. Coach 'Em Up
19. Player Files
20. The Journey, Part 4
Appendix 1: Player Metrics
Appendix 2: The Pue Equation
Appendix 3: Fit Calculations
Appendix 4: Player Classification
Notes
Index
