Atitscore,thegoalofanybasketballteamisrelativelysimple:takeandmakegoodshotswhilepreventingtheopponentfromdoingthesame.Butwhatisa“good“shot?Areallgoodshotscreatedequally?Andhowmightoneidentifyplayerswhoaremoreorlesslikelytomakeandpreventthoseshotsinthefirstplace?Theconceptofbasketball“analytics,“forlackofabetterterm,hasbeenlauded,derided,andmisunderstood.TheincorporationofmoredataintoNBAdecision-makinghasbeencredited--orblamed--foreverythingfromthedeathofthetraditionalcentertotheproliferationofthree-pointshootingtotheallegedabandonmentoftheareaofthecourtknownasthemidrange.WhatisbeyonddoubtisthatunderstandingitsmethodshasneverbeenmoreimportanttowatchingandappreciatingtheNBA.InTheMidrangeTheory,SethPartnow,NBAanalystforTheAthleticandformerDirectorofBasketballResearchfortheMilwaukeeBucks,explainshownumbershaveaffectedthemodernNBAgame,andhowthosenumbersseeknotto“solve“thegameofbasketballbutinsteadurgeustowardthinkingaboutitinnewways.TherelativevalueofRussellWestbrook’striple-doublesWhysomeplayerssucceedintheplayoffswhileothersdon’tHowNBAteamsthinkaboutconstructingtheirrostersthroughthedraftandfreeagencyThedifficultyinmeasuringdefensiveachievementThefallacyofthe“quicktwo“Fromshotselectiontoevaluatingprospectstoconsideringaestheticsandethicswhileanalyzingtheboxscores,PartnowdeftlyexploreswheretheNBAisnow,howitgothere,andwhereitmightbegoingnext.
