Moneyball: How Adavanced Statistics are Changing the Game of Basketball

When you hear the term "advanced statistics," what do you think about? Player efficiency rating?

Win Shares? No one really knows what the term advanced statistics means.  But in reality, advanced statistics are much more than just basic calculations, instead they can analyze, predict, and sort through every moment in the game of basketball.

Almost every single NBA team uses advanced statistics in order to gain an edge on their competition.  These numbers can help influence decisions on play-calling, which shots to take, what free agent to sign, and more.

Although the teams are using these stats in order to gain an edge on their competition, all of the teams are using the same company to calculate these numbers for them.

Second Spectrum is a company that lets teams, "utilize Second Spectrum’s Eagle platform to deliver their data, analytics, visualization and video solutions." They, "enable teams with key insights that inform strategic decisions," and, "deliver what coaches and front offices want to know, by equipping them with the tools to win."

In order to fully understand what your favorite teams are doing in order to gain an edge on everyone else in the NBA, it is best to hear what exactly is going on from the mind behind the stats. 

Although we all think that general managers and front offices around the league are just signing players based off of simple statistics, their attitude/personalities, and even just by the eye test, teams are really using these systems in order to analyze every single option they have to try to make the best decisions possible.

Advanced statistics got their claim to fame in the sports world after the movie MoneyBall.  The film focused on the Oakland Athletics's approach to using math in order to decide what players to sign and what to do in every situation of the game.  Now, computers are doing the math for us and the ability of the system is growing everyday. The system has since spread to football, basketball, and more sports in our world.

While this system is already mind blowing, it is just beginning to scratch the surface.  Imagine ten years from now the advancements that will have been accomplished in this system.  We will be able to have a way to measure and compare players now to players 50 years down the road.  We will be able measure countless statistics that will not only help us understand the game of basketball, but also revolutionize it.