This document discusses spatial performance indicators for basketball. It presents a method to analyze shooting performance by partitioning the court into rectangles using a classification tree to maximize scoring percentage differences between areas. A case study analyzes the shooting chart of a well-known NBA player from the 2017-2018 season, showing their scoring percentages and average time shooting in different court locations. A second case study looks at the same indicators for a team's shooting performance.

1. BASKETBALL SPATIAL
PERFORMANCE INDICATORS
Marica Manisera Rodolfo Metulini
Marco Sandri Paola Zuccolotto
University of Brescia, Italy

2. Manisera Metulini Sandri Zuccolotto - University of Brescia
BDsports, a network of people interested in Sports Analytics
http://bodai.unibs.it/bdsports/

3. Manisera Metulini Sandri Zuccolotto - University of Brescia
paola.zuccolotto@unibs.it marica.manisera@unibs.it
SCIENTIFIC COORDINATORS OF BDsports

4. Manisera Metulini Sandri Zuccolotto - University of Brescia
Agenda:
• Performance Analysis
• Spatial Performance indicators
• Case studies:
o players’ performance
o team’s performance
• Concluding remarks
• Performance Analysis
• Spatial Performance indicators
• Case Study: players’ performance
• Case Study: team’s performance

5. Manisera Metulini Sandri Zuccolotto - University of Brescia
• Performance Analysis
• Spatial Performance indicators
• Case Study: players’ performance
• Case Study: team’s performance
In time
• with a time series approach
• with a multivariate analysis approach
(with respect to specific game situations)
(shooting)
Performance
Analysis

6. Manisera Metulini Sandri Zuccolotto - University of Brescia
• Performance Analysis
• Spatial Performance indicators
• Case Study: players’ performance
• Case Study: team’s performance
In space
• with respect to the teammates’ placement
• with respect to the spots on the court
today’s talk
(shooting)
Performance
Analysis

7. Manisera Metulini Sandri Zuccolotto - University of Brescia
• Performance Analysis
• Spatial Performance indicators
• Case Study: players’ performance
• Case Study: team’s performance
Spatial Shooting Performance Indicators
Split the court into a number
of rectangles that are then
colored according to
A. scoring percentages
B. difference in scoring
percentages with respect
to other players, teams,
etc.
C. some aggregate statistic
(e.g. average play length
when the shot is
attempted, average time
in the quarter, etc.)
Shot chart of James Harden,
Source: NBA.COM

8. Manisera Metulini Sandri Zuccolotto - University of Brescia
• Performance Analysis
• Spatial Performance indicators
• Case Study: players’ performance
• Case Study: team’s performance
Our Proposal
Define the rectangles by means of a CLASSIFICATION TREE
i.e.: find the best partition of the court according the
criterion of maximizing the difference in the scoring
percentages between rectangles

9. Manisera Metulini Sandri Zuccolotto - University of Brescia
• Performance Analysis
• Spatial Performance indicators
• Case Study: players’ performance
• Case Study: team’s performance
Case Study: Players’ Performance
Let’s consider a well-known NBA player (data from
the regular season 2017-2018)

10. Manisera Metulini Sandri Zuccolotto - University of Brescia
• Performance Analysis
• Spatial Performance indicators
• Case Study: players’ performance
• Case Study: team’s performance
0.4
0.5
0.6
0.7
result
Classification tree
• outcome: shot made/missed
• predictors: shot coordinates
Partition of the court induced
by the classification tree (color:
scoring percentages)

11. Manisera Metulini Sandri Zuccolotto - University of Brescia
• Performance Analysis
• Spatial Performance indicators
• Case Study: players’ performance
• Case Study: team’s performance
-0.10
-0.05
0.00
0.05
0.10
result
400
420
440
460
periodTime
Difference in scoring
percentages with respect to all
the other teammates
Average time in the quarter
when the shot is attempted

12. Manisera Metulini Sandri Zuccolotto - University of Brescia
• Performance Analysis
• Spatial Performance indicators
• Case Study: players’ performance
• Case Study: team’s performance
Case Study: Teams’ Performance
We now focus on the team

13. Manisera Metulini Sandri Zuccolotto - University of Brescia
• Performance Analysis
• Spatial Performance indicators
• Case Study: players’ performance
• Case Study: team’s performance
Classification tree
• outcome: shot made/missed
• predictors: shot coordinates
Partition of the court induced
by the classification tree (color:
scoring percentages)
0.4
0.5
0.6
0.7
result

14. Manisera Metulini Sandri Zuccolotto - University of Brescia
• Performance Analysis
• Spatial Performance indicators
• Case Study: players’ performance
• Case Study: team’s performance
Difference in scoring
percentages with respect to all
the opponents
Average time in the quarter
when the shot is attempted
-0.10
-0.05
0.00
0.05
0.10
result
330
340
350
360
370
380
periodTime

15. Thank You
References
Download a (regularly updated) list of references at
http://bodai.unibs.it/bdsports/basketball.htm