In statistics class, we are taught the difference between average and median. Both are useful in certain situations however for some reason, lots of people use average when the situation calls for the median. One place where medians could be used instead of averages is with team free throw percentage, particularly in end of game situations. The end of games play out much differently than the rest of the game so the normal free throw numbers shouldn’t apply because it is different players taking the shots. In this QSAO piece, we compare and contrast the use of median vs. Average free throw numbers in the NBA.
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QSAO's Analytics Mythbusters: Breaking down positional nuances (Part Two) /
As we progress through the seasons of various professional sports, we start to notice trends worth looking into. As I have ben to expand my analytical prowess, I have learned to develop my own questions, and look to answer them through the published work of others – something that QSAO does for the sports community (Look out for all-new content next semester! – shameless plug). But I digress, in Part Two of the latest edition of QSAO’s Analytics Mythbusters, we look into load management in the NBA and how the Houston Astro’s sign-stealing scandal affected team performance.
Read MoreIntroducing QSAO's Analytics Mythbusters /
In the first issue of QSAO’s Analytics Mythbusters, QSAO takes the opportunity to look explore different sports analytics & statistics, and identify different ways to measure player performance. In this first piece, QSAO covers NFL QB ratings, NBA defensive win shares, the Premier League’s possession value framework, and wins above replacement in the NHL.
Read MoreThe Positionless NBA: Grouping players using performance stats /
Nikola Jokic is one of the most unique players in the NBA today. He is 7 feet tall but can pass like a point guard, shoot the three and has arguably the best vision among all players regardless of position, however, he is listed as a centre purely based on his height. He is redefining how the league classifies players because as a centre he averaged 7.3 assists per game and brings up the ball regularly for the Nuggets. Basketball is becoming more positionless with each season, so it is a wonder why the NBA continues to segment players with the outdated 5 positions. Instead of putting players into positions based on height and traditional labels, it would be more beneficial to sort the players based on their stats. In this QSAO article, we analyse and group NBA players using important statistical indicators.
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