Chasing Perfection: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at the High-Stakes Game of Creating an NBA Champion (34 page)

    
multiteam trade,
201–202

    
technology of the training program,
114

pick and roll,
32–34
,
72
,
169–170
,
182
,
209
,
229–230
,
232

platoon system,
77–80

player efficiency rating (PER),
21

Plumlee, Mason,
87

points per possession,
84–85

    
Bogut’s net rating,
196–197

    
Cleveland,
189

    
early analytics,
16–17

    
Golden State Warriors,
170

    
Houston Rockets’ 2014–2015 season,
68

    
NBA Conference finals,
166–167

    
Philadelphia 76ers’ 2014–2015

    
stats,
61–62

    
Synergy analytics,
37–38

points-created metric,
19

Pomeroy, Ken,
89

Popovich, Gregg,
8
,
26
,
48–57
,
168
,
179

Portland Trail Blazers,
70
,
147–148
,
213–214

practice data,
119–120
,
134–135

pregame routine, Kyle Korver’s,
229–230

Presti, Sam,
26
,
204

Poythress, Alex,
79

Quantified Scouting Service,
36–37

racism scandals,
179–180

Ranadive, Vivek,
129–132

Randle, Julius,
67

Randolph, Zach,
197
,
213

real plus-minus (RPM),
198–199
,
206

rebounding percentages

    
Bogut’s statistics,
195

    
college players,
78–80
,
92–96
,
211
,
213

    
Golden State Warriors,
169

    
Harden’s statistics,
203–209

    
Philadelphia 76ers,
13–17

    
Second Spectrum analysis,
30–31

    
Synergy analytics,
37–38

rebuilding strategies,
57–66

recovery, training and,
114–116

recruitment,
14

referees, technology checking calls by,
44

regularized adjusted plus-minus (RAPM),
198–199

rest versus workload,
146–147
,
207

Riley, Pat,
219

Robbins, Paul,
120–123

Roberts, Michele,
120

Robertson, Oscar,
176

Roe, Lou,
76

Rondo, Rajon,
145–146

Rose, Derrick,
2
,
76
,
136

Rosen, Jacob,
191

roster management,
75

    
Atlanta Hawks’ academic qualifications,
185–186

    
Cleveland’s James-Love-Irving combination,
190–191

    
Detroit Pistons,
146–147

    
high school-level play,
84–85

    
Houston Rockets’ trades,
173–177

    
Kyle Korver,
232–233

    
Oklahoma Thunder,
203–204

    
recruitment from junior colleges,
98–99

    
Sacramento’s rebuilding strategy,
133–134

    
San Antonio Spurs,
48–57

    
2015 NBA Finals,
237–238

Rucker, Alex,
138–140

sabermetrics,
11

Sacramento Kings

    
biometric data collection,
119

    
D’Alessandro hiring,
131–132

    
draft strategy,
127–128

    
mismanagement problems,
132–134

    
Philadelphia 76ers’ tanking strategy,
64–65

    
Rajon Rondo acquisition,
146

    
Rudy Gay trade,
128–129

Sagarin, Jeff,
19–20
,
23

salaries

    
Atlanta Hawks trades,
180

    
Channing Frye’s development,
214–216

    
James Harden,
203–204

    
optimizing payrolls through draft selection,
63–65

    
role of analytics in calculating,
128–130

    
Rudy Gay,
128–129

salary caps,
129
,
146
,
173–174
,
190
,
201–202

San Antonio Spurs,
8

    
biometric data collection,
119

    
Budenholzer’s move to Atlanta,
179

    
buying in to analytics,
48

    
Golden State Warriors’ new strategy,
168

    
roster management,
26

    
Sacramento’s on-court strategy against,
128

Saric, Dario,
58
,
64

Scalabrine, Brian,
168

Scaletta, Kelly,
177

Schroder, Dennis,
180
,
185

Schuhmann, John,
44–45

Scott, Antwan,
92

Scott, Byron,
66

Scott, Mike,
185

scouting

    
computer-generated data,
36–37

    
Phoenix Suns database,
36

    
racism in,
179–180

Seattle SuperSonics,
135
.
See also
Oklahoma City Thunder

Second Spectrum,
29–36
,
38–39

Sefolosha, Thabo,
185–186
,
203

Shea, Stephen,
47 (quote)
,
69

shooting skills and strategies

    
breaking down and rebuilding a player,
223–228

    
Duke University,
96

    
family basketball culture,
219–221

    
Houston’s three-point shot strategy,
66–74

    
Korver’s heel-loading maneuver,
4–6
,
233

    
Moreyball Efficiency rating,
70 (fig.)

    
offensive efficiency versus three-point rate,
67 (fig.)
,
69 (fig.)

    
Philadelphia 76ers’ rebuilding seasons,
61–63

    
Rudy Gay,
129

    
Westbrook evaluation,
136–137

    
See also
three-point shot strategy

Shumpert, Iman,
190–191
,
235

Silver, Adam,
59–60

Skolnick, Ethan,
189

sleep,
114–115
,
123

Sloan, Jerry,
146
,
221–222

Sloan Sports Analytics Conferences,
26
,
30
,
32
,
65
,
134
,
159

Smith, Dean,
16–17

Smith, Josh,
146
,
176

Smith, JR,
190

Smith, Tubby,
76

soccer,
9–10
,
34
,
41–42
,
106

Society for American Baseball Research (SABR),
11

Sparks, David,
143–144

Spears, Marc,
195

Speights, Marreese,
197

Splitter, Tiago,
50

Sports Analytics: A Guide for Coaches, Managers and Other Decision Makers
(Alamar),
135

sports diagnostics: P3,
106–113
,
124–126
.
See also
analytics

SportVU,
39
,
41–44
,
89–90
,
93–97
,
119
,
121–123

STATS, LLC,
41–43

Stauskas, Nik,
64–65
,
128

Sterling, Donald,
179

Stern, David,
51
,
173

Stevens, Brad,
141–146
,
217 (quote)
,
229–230

Stoudemire, Amar’e,
215

Strauss, Ethan Sherwood,
3

stress on players,
237–238

Su, Jeff,
30

Synergy Sports Technology,
32
,
35–41
,
45
,
72

tanking strategy,
57–66

Tatum, Jayson,
82

Teague, Jeff,
180
,
183–184

technology

    
Fusionetics training technology programs,
113–118

    
injury prevention and enhanced performance,
118–124

    
sports diagnostics,
105–113

    
See also
analytics

TENDEX,
18

tennis,
217

Terry, Jason,
172
,
178

Thibodeau, Tom,
147
,
218
,
225–226

third-party data services,
43

Thomas, Isaiah,
128
,
134

Thompson, Klay,
2–4
,
87
,
164–165
,
167–170
,
196
,
231

Thorpe, Otis,
148

three-point shot strategy,
66–74
,
217

    
Atlanta’s no-star system,
182

    
Houston Rockets,
172

    
Kyle Korver,
221
,
230–233

    
Lakers’ normalcy,
73

    
Moreyball Efficiency rating,
69–71
,
70 (fig.)

    
Nikola Vucevic,
211–212

    
offensive efficiency and,
69 (fig.)

    
2015 NBA Finals,
239–240

Toney, Andrew,
14

Toronto Raptors

    
biometric data collection,
119

    
Carroll’s move to,
184

    
“ghost defenders” visual model,
138

    
Houston Rockets’ trade,
174

    
Rudy Gay trade,
128–130

Torre, Pablo,
60
,
62–63
,
65

Torres, Alex,
168

Towns, Karl-Anthony,
75

trades.
See
draft and trades

training

    
analytics and technological advantages,
7–9

    
breaking down and rebuilding a player,
4–6
,
222–224

    
Fusionetics training technology programs,
113–118

    
Korver’s mental and emotional training,
228–229

    
P3 sports diagnostics,
106–113
,
124–126

    
perfecting players through,
217–219

    
Phoenix Suns’ technological program,
114–118

Twitter,
7
,
23
,
68
,
100
,
124
,
166
,
187
,
205–206

2015 NBA Finals,
119
,
235–237
,
239–240

Ujiri, Masai,
127
,
130

Ulis, Tyler,
79

U’Ren, Nick,
239

USA Basketball,
82–88

Utah Jazz,
106
,
112
,
142
,
221–222
,
225

Van Gundy, Stan,
32
,
146–147

Varejao, Anderson,
190

Vaughn, Jacque,
211–212
,
216

video analytics

    
availability of data,
45

    
Barr’s entry into,
36–37

    
Boston Celtics’ analytic approach,
144–145

    
breaking down and rebuilding a player,
223–226

    
early camera technologies,
41–44

    
high school-level play,
81

    
P3 sports diagnostics,
107–110

    
player development,
7

Virginia Tech,
98–99
,
101–104

Vivlamore, Chris,
219–220

Vucevic, Nikola,
208–213
,
216

Wade, Dwyane,
2
,
51
,
72
,
189

Waiters, Dion,
190

Wall, John,
2
,
77
,
233

Washington Wizards,
74
,
88
,
201
,
233

West, Jerry,
176

Westbrook, Russell,
71
,
135–138
,
177
,
202–205

Western Conference.
See specific teams