NBA – Strategic Data Analysis for 2006 – 2011 using SAP Design Studio

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NBA – one of the very few abbreviation which does not require expansion most of the times because of its humongous fame all over the world. It has more than 21 million fans on Facebook and 17 million followers on Twitter, having its Playoff Season as one of the most sought after sports seasons around the globe.

How would it be to visualize the entire data set of NBA from 2006 to 2011 using SAP Design Studio?

Scroll down the blog to view Data Analysis of how Dallas Mavericks won the NBA Championship in 2011, how Carmelo Anthony performed in NBA 2006 Season, how NBA All Stars 2008-09 was played and lot more.

This Package of Visualization contains 5 Applications with one HOME Application.

1. Playoffs Analysis
2. Conference Analysis – Eastern & Western
3. All Stars Game Analysis
4. Player Analysis along with Player by Player Comparison
5. Basketball Hall of Fame (From 1959)

Home Application:

The HOME application has the link to jump to any of the other applications and from any other application, you can jump back to the Home application. Every icon in the View, when clicked will take you to the particular application in a new window.

All 5 Applications have a “HOME” Icon in their Header, which when clicked will take you to the HOME Application in a new window.

Playoffs Analysis application:

This application gives an overall analysis of how the Playoffs for the particular year was held. Statistical data like Wins, Losses, GB and PCT% of the Top 8 teams of each conference can be analysed using this application.

When the VIEW POINTS TABLE icon is clicked:

Features:

• Year Selector – swipe left/right on the year selector, Playoff League Stands change for the particular Year.
• Points Table – When you click on the SHOW POINTS TABLE selector, the points table with points of Top 8 teams in each conference is displayed.
• Quick Team Stats – When you click on the left most/right most Team icons, the Team Name flips and shows you the Quick Stats of the Team in the League.

Conference Analysis application:

In this application, the statistics can be analysed based on each conference separately, either Eastern Conference or Western Conference. In each of the conference views, the teams are divided into 3 divisions and analysis of the teams is based on 8 Performance Indicators, which are grouped division wise.

An important factor used in this analysis and All Stars Game Analysis is FOUR FACTORS OF SUCCESS which was developed by Dean Oliver. This is calculated by the formula: 40% of Shooting + 25% Turnovers + 20% Rebounds + 15% Free Throws. 

Eastern Conference:

Western Conference:

Features:

• Year Selector – If you click left/right arrow on the year selector, it changes the Conference Stands for the particular Year.
• Conference Selector – When you click on Particular conference logo on Top right of the application, teams in selected conference can be analysed.
• Performance Indicator Selectors – There are 8 Performance Indicators with which each Team can be analysed. So when clicked on a particular selector, all teams in 3 divisions can be analysed based on the selected Performance Indicator.
• Team Selector – There are 8 Performance Indicators with which each Team can be analysed. So when clicked on a particular selector, all teams in 3 divisions can be analysed based on the selected Performance Indicator.
• OFFENSIVE/DEFENSIVE Radio button – This is used to switch the FOUR FACTORS OF SUCCESS from defensive to offensive factors and vice versa.
• COMPARE FOUR FACTORS – When you click the action button - “Compare Four Factors”, then the FOUR FACTORS OF SUCCESS of all the teams are analysed, division wise, in the right most charts.

Player Analysis application:

This application helps you to analyse a particular player’s performance and his contribution from 2006 – 2011 in more than one team. The Head to Head compare option is also available where one player is the selected player by default and you can choose the other player for comparison.

Features:

• Player search – You can search for a desired player and view the statistics of that player. Any part of the player’s name can be used as a keyword to search the list of relevant players.
• Year selector – When the year selector is selected, player statistics for the desired year is displayed. The year selectors also display the teams in which the selected player has played.
• Comparison – Here you will be able to compare the selected player’s statistics vs the top player for each statistic. Use the Top Player/Average radio button to switch comparisons between the top player and average for each statistic.
• Player Contribution – Here you can view the selected player’s contribution for each of the stat, for the selected year.
• Player comparison – When this option is clicked, you will be able to compare the statistics of two players. You can use the search inside the “Comparison View” to select the desired player for comparison. The comparison view shows the player stats using charts and miscellaneous information using texts.

All Stars Game Analysis application:

In this application, 12 players who played for Eastern conference and 12 Players who played for Western conference in the All Stars game has been listed according to their Four Factors percentage – from highest on the top to the lowest at the bottom. Three players, along with their Game Statistics are displayed in one Page of every conference. When swiped Up/Down, the statistics of other players can be analysed.

Features:

• Year Selector – When left/right arrow on the year selector is clicked, the List of All Stars Players will change according to the selected Year.
• Player Photo – If a photo of a Player is clicked, it navigates to the Player Analysis application of the particular player in a new window.
• Page Swipe – When Eastern/Western conference side is swiped Up/Down, other sets of All Stars Players can be analysed.

Basketball Hall of Fame application:

  This application can be used to analyse the data of the Basket Ball Hall of Fame decade/year wise. You can also drill down to a particular Role such as players, coaches, contributors, referees and teams.

Features:

• Role Selectors – When you click on specific roles like players or coaches, Hall of Fame entries for the selected role will be displayed year wise and decade wise.  If “TOTAL” is selected, Hall of Fame entries for all roles can be analysed. 
• Decade Selector – When a particular decade is selected, entries for the years in the selected decade will be shown in the bottom chart.

All the applications have a “Help” button in the bottom right corner which when clicked will show the help screen for each application. This help screen will have instructions for you to use the application, utilizing all options provided.

Similar visualizations and stories can be developed for any sport and can be used for promoting the sport among the followers and to the sponsors who are ready to invest their money for the sport. Even to those who are not very familiar with the sport can also understand the data and compare the teams or players when it is visualized effectively. We have done this package of Analysis Applications to demonstrate that Sport Analytics is effectively possible using Design Studio.

The above work was a team effort which includes contributions from : ramyavaradharajan hariprasads nirmal.kumar22 pnknaveen .

Disclaimer: The images and logos used are properties of NBA and respective franchises. These applications are designed only for demonstrative purposes.