Chapter 15 Key Takeaways: Player Tracking Data

Executive Summary

Player tracking provides continuous spatial and physical data that revolutionizes basketball analytics, enabling measurement of off-ball movement, defensive positioning, physical load, and actions invisible to traditional box scores.

Core Concepts

  • [ ] Tracking captures 25 frames/second of player and ball positions
  • [ ] Spatial data: x, y coordinates for all 10 players and ball
  • [ ] Physical data: speed, distance, acceleration
  • [ ] Enables off-ball analytics for the first time
  • [ ] Defensive measurement dramatically improved

Key Metrics

Offensive Tracking

  • Touches, time of possession
  • Drives, pull-ups, catch-and-shoot
  • Off-ball movement, screen assists

Defensive Tracking

  • Defender distance at shot
  • Matchup statistics
  • Contest rates, closeout data

Physical Tracking

  • Distance traveled
  • Speed (average, max)
  • Sprints, accelerations
  • Load management indicators

Applications

  1. Defensive evaluation: Beyond steals and blocks
  2. Off-ball value: Screen setting, movement
  3. Load management: Injury prevention
  4. Scheme analysis: Play type identification
  5. Player development: Identifying improvement areas

Limitations

  • Requires specialized infrastructure
  • Data access limited
  • Doesn't capture intent or decision quality directly
  • Context still requires human interpretation

Summary

Tracking data provides the foundation for modern basketball analytics, measuring what box scores cannot capture.