ABSTRACT
For general managers, gamblers, and fans alike, it is important to know a player’s impact on the outcome of an NBA basketball game. Managers of basketball teams, often bound by a salary cap or restrictions by team owners, want to sign players that have large positive impact on game outcomes, preferably to cheap contracts. Furthermore, they want to avoid paying maximum salary to players who may be perceived as superstars but aren’t significantly helping the team win. Traditionally, front offices of basketball teams have relied on scouts for information on player ability, talent, and impact. In the last 20 years, advancedplayermetrics have found theirway into the decision-making process. Advanced playermetrics have some advantages over scouts, including teams being able to synthesize
of Methods and
information from all games played in a season in a matter of minutes, or even seconds. Furthermore, advanced playermetrics cannot be deceived by highlight plays or the opinion of others and thusly provide a more objective assessment of player impact.
