Best of JoBS

06/01/04 Roboscout and the Four Factors of Basketball Success
Roboscout suggests the strengths and weaknesses that are exploitable in a team. Some teams are good at one area of the game and consistently good -- there is nothing you can do about them. But other teams may be good at one area of the game, but they show weaknesses every so often. That's what this tool picks up. By looking at the Four Factors of basketball success that are highlighted in Basketball on Paper, it really presents a great tool for beating an opponent and building your own team into a more successful one.
02/19/98 Of Grant Hill and Basketball Relationships
Also known as "Why I Hate Grant Hill". Grant Hill is a product both of his own ability and those around him. The success he had in '97 hasn't been duplicated in '98 both because of his own inabilities and the lack of support, which is what makes studying this game so hard.
12/21/97 Yes, Virginia, There is a Hot Hand
A thousand years from now, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, the Hot Hand will continue to make glad the heart of basketball fans... Evidence that a hot hand can exist even if past tests haven't found it.
08/21/97 They Say Defense Wins Championships
... But does it? Think about it. Look at the evidence. I have lots of it.
06/08/97 Every Shot to Win
Relive every play the Jazz and the Bulls ran in the fourth quarter of the classic Game 4 of the Finals.
04/24/97 Mission Impossibull: Beating the Bulls
An animated preview of what it takes to beat the Bulls this year (if you do not have a javascript-capable browser, you are out of luck). Also includes a playoff preview.
03/05/97 How Slow Can You Go?
The Cleveland Cavaliers recently beat the Chicago Bulls by getting an early lead and keeping the game slow. Playoff teams should take note -- the strategy helps.
02/19/97 Tyra Banks! Tyra Banks!
The Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition is out. Somehow I have to compete with that. Here is my best attempt.... A look at the best point guards in the league, the New Jersey-Dallas trade.
01/22/97 Basketball's Glass Ceiling
I've watched women's basketball for six years. Now I'm watching it go pro. It's a great opportunity for women to succeed and an even better opportunity for me to stick my foot in my mouth.
01/20/97 Of Point Spreads and Predictions, Using a Kalman Filter
This is more technical, but people like the art, even if they don't understand the valuable science in it....
01/15/97 Insight on a Boxscore
What are the things to look for in a boxscore to tell you what really happened?
12/18/96 The Death of the Hot Hand
There was a famous study of whether basketball players really get "hot" and "cold". This article looks at that study and lets you try to pick out streaks.
12/11/96 You Don't Know Shaq
Shaquille O'Neal takes heat for being just a dunker, for not hitting his free throws, and for not being focused. But he still has the richest long term contract in basketball. Take this little test to find out why.
11/02/96 The Effect of Bad Referees
Finally I've figured out how to do it. Now I know how to strike back at the refs, to let them know how they can change the odds of winning or losing if they are doing a bad job. I finally figured out what it means for a ref to do a bad job.
07/17/96 Dreamin' of the Dream Team
America's finest (and you!) take the floor against the rest of the world. What can we expect from them? What can we expect from you?
04/30/96 Playoff Home Court Advantage
The playoffs give teams a day of rest between games and extra preparation time to stand up to that brutal home court advantage. That's the traditional logic, at least. This article examines whether there really is an effect of the playoff format upon the home court advantage.
03/25/96 What Strategies Are Risky?
What exactly are risky strategies in basketball and how do they help an underdog or hurt a favorite?
02/16/96 The Effect of Controlling Tempo
Theoretical statistics to show how slowing the game helps an underdog's chances. Also, a brief discussion of how the pace of the NBA has changed in the past 20 years.
02/05/96 Jordan vs Olajuwon: Who's Better? Using a Scientific Method
Perhaps the most popular column at JoBS, this article starts off with an objective comparison between Jordan and Olajuwon, then explains the entire methodology to prove that there is no bias.
01/08/96 Basketball Rah-Rah
Scientific reasons why the game is exciting, as though we needed them.
12/01/95 Basketball's Bell Curve
This is a new and important issue about how points aren't the only important factor in evaluating players and teams. Consistency is also important. Contains new applets to show point distributions and how those distributions affect winning percentage.