Chapter 1 Further Reading

Foundational Texts

Basketball on Paper

Author: Dean Oliver Year: 2004 Publisher: Potomac Books

The foundational text for basketball analytics. Oliver introduces possession-based analysis, the Four Factors framework, and player evaluation methods. Essential reading for anyone serious about the field.

Key Concepts: - Possession as the fundamental unit of basketball - Four Factors of basketball success - Individual offensive and defensive ratings - Statistical team analysis

Best For: Building conceptual foundations

Sprawlball: A Visual Tour of the New Era of the NBA

Author: Kirk Goldsberry Year: 2019 Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Goldsberry combines data visualization with basketball analysis to explain how the game has changed. Beautifully illustrated shot charts and spatial analysis make complex concepts accessible.

Key Concepts: - The three-point revolution visualized - Shot selection evolution - Spatial efficiency - Player archetype changes

Best For: Visual learners and those interested in data visualization

The Midrange Theory

Author: Seth Partnow Year: 2021 Publisher: Triumph Books

A modern perspective on basketball analytics from a former NBA analyst. Partnow balances analytical rigor with practical application, addressing both what analytics can and cannot do.

Key Concepts: - Modern metric development - Front office decision-making - Limitations of analytics - Career insights

Best For: Understanding modern analytics practice

Academic Papers

"A Starting Point for Analyzing Basketball Statistics"

Author: Dan Rosenbaum Year: 2004 Publication: Journal of Quantitative Analysis in Sports

One of the first rigorous applications of adjusted plus-minus to basketball. Rosenbaum's methodology influenced all subsequent player impact metrics.

Access: Available through academic databases

"Counterpoints: Advanced Defensive Metrics for NBA Basketball"

Authors: Franks et al. Year: 2015 Publication: MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference

Demonstrates how tracking data can measure defensive contribution beyond traditional box score statistics.

Access: Available at Sloan Sports Analytics Conference website

"Expected Possession Value"

Authors: Cervone et al. Year: 2016 Publication: Journal of Quantitative Analysis in Sports

Introduces EPV, a framework for real-time game valuation using tracking data. Foundational for modern spatial analysis.

Access: Available through academic databases

Websites and Blogs

Basketball Reference

URL: basketball-reference.com

The most comprehensive public source for NBA statistics. Essential for any basketball analytics work.

Key Features: - Historical statistics back to 1946 - Advanced metrics - Play-by-play logs - Shot charts

Cleaning the Glass

URL: cleaningtheglass.com

Premium analytics site with league-wide and team-level statistics. Known for thoughtful analysis and clean data presentation.

Key Features: - Luck-adjusted standings - Lineup data - Shot location analysis - Subscription model for full access

Thinking Basketball

URL: YouTube channel and thinkingbasketball.net

Ben Taylor's work combines film analysis with statistical analysis. Excellent for understanding how numbers connect to on-court play.

Key Features: - Video essay format - Historical player analysis - Backpicks metric development

FiveThirtyEight (Sports Section)

URL: fivethirtyeight.com/sports

ESPN-owned site with rigorous sports analytics. CARMELO and RAPTOR player projections are notable contributions.

Key Features: - Player projections - Game predictions - Methodology transparency

Industry Resources

MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference

URL: sloansportsconference.com

The premier academic conference for sports analytics. Papers and presentations cover cutting-edge research.

Best For: Academic rigor and new methodologies

The Athletic (Basketball Coverage)

URL: theathletic.com

Subscription sports journalism with strong analytics coverage. Writers like Seth Partnow, John Hollinger, and Sam Vecenie provide analytical perspectives.

Best For: Current applications of analytics to NBA coverage

Podcasts

Thinking Basketball Podcast

Host: Ben Taylor

Deep dives into player evaluation, historical comparison, and metric development.

The Lowe Post

Host: Zach Lowe

ESPN's Zach Lowe interviews coaches, executives, and analysts. Blends basketball strategy with analytical thinking.

Nerd Sesh

Hosts: Various

Technical discussions of basketball analytics methodology. More advanced content for those with statistical background.

Online Courses

Sports Analytics Specialization (Coursera)

Provider: University of Michigan

Comprehensive introduction to sports analytics with basketball examples. Covers statistics, machine learning, and practical applications.

Basketball Analytics (edX)

Provider: University of Texas at Austin

Focused specifically on basketball analytics with hands-on coding exercises.

Python Resources

nba_api Documentation

URL: github.com/swar/nba_api

Documentation for the Python package that accesses official NBA statistics. Essential for data collection.

Basketball Reference Scraping Guide

Various Authors

Multiple tutorials exist for scraping Basketball Reference data. Search for current guides as website structure may change.

Historical Context

The Book of Basketball

Author: Bill Simmons Year: 2009

While not analytically focused, Simmons' comprehensive history provides context for understanding how basketball has evolved.

Moneyball

Author: Michael Lewis Year: 2003

Though focused on baseball, Moneyball popularized sports analytics and influenced how basketball teams approach data-driven decision-making.

Staying Current

Basketball analytics is a rapidly evolving field. To stay current:

Follow analysts on Twitter/X: Many share insights and methodologies
Read The Athletic and ESPN analytics coverage: Current applications
Attend/watch Sloan Conference: Annual research updates
Join analytics communities: Reddit r/nbadiscussion, Discord servers

This reading list is not exhaustive. The field continues to evolve, and new resources emerge regularly.