In the latest SBJ Live, expert panelists discussed the technological innovations that will shape the upcoming season, including new data points from Hawk-Eye.
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SBJ Live episodes are interactive and engaging conversations with industry experts on hot topics within the sports industry. Registration is free. All registrants will receive a link to watch the recording once the session is over. You can view the full schedule here.
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With a new NBA season dawning next week, Wednesday’s SBJ Live provided a technological overview of the potential data improvements that will accompany it.
The session, titled “Load management and limb tracking: the technological innovations shaping the 2023-24 NBA season» featured two main topics: the NBA’s move from Second Spectrum to Hawk-Eye for data tracking and the league’s new rules regarding load management for star players.
SBJ’s Joe Lemire spoke with Zelus Analytics vice president of baseball and basketball Andrew Galdi, sports performance consultant Shawn Windle and Orlando Magic assistant coach Jesse Mermuys about the potential benefits and the lingering questions of both.
The new (and expanded) data points
The most notable improvement in The NBA’s move to Hawk-Eye for data tracking that’s how much more granular the data will be. The Hawk-Eye system captures 29 specific data points on the body, giving a much more accurate view of what players bring to the field.
Zelus helps NBA analytics departments by creating statistical models from team data to provide insights. Galdi said this can include identifying a specific player’s best skills, determining their aging tendency, and more.
Previous tracking from Second Spectrum (which will also work with the NBA this season) focused solely on a player’s center mass. The ability to track pros’ long limbs will bolster NBA teams’ ability to model player efficiency and evaluate traits such as a player’s passing quality, Galdi said. Seeing how passing improves the quality of possessions, and also where a defender’s blind spot is on plays, can be very influential.
“Models are just representations of reality,” Galdi said. “But as we have more and more data, this representation becomes more and more precise. And this member data is going to help us get much closer to the truth about the quality of players across these different skills.
This tracking will also improve the ability to measure shooting conflicts and closeouts on defense. Mermuys is a veteran coach of over 20 years, including the last 15 years in the NBA. He sees this tracking data as a boon to game programs and the technical aspects of coaching. Mermuys said coaches can now teach Cole Anthony (a 6-foot-3 guard) and reigning Rookie of the Year Paulo Banchero (a 6-foot-10 forward) differently with even more nuance. Passing and defensive positioning are just two of many examples.
“We tell players all the time when we talk about spacing: Every inch on an NBA court counts,” Mermuys said. “And the reason it’s important is because the talent level of these guys is so incredible that it’s just very difficult to create any advantages.”
Load management and how to manage it
To keep star players active, especially during national matches and tournaments during the season, the The NBA has adopted a strict player participation policy to prevent teams from resting big names with as much frequency as in years past.
Windle, a longtime strength and conditioning coach and former director of sports performance and assistant track and field coach for the Indiana Pacers from 2005 to 2023, mentioned that there is no exact science to support the time when a player should rest and/or return. It’s much more complex than a data point and a game.
“When I hear people say they have a definitive date that someone needs to rest, I’m a little wary of it,” Windle said. “For me, load management was always something we did on days off. Load management wasn’t practiced today, or (it was) an additional recovery element or nutrition change. There are many other ways. »
Mermuys joked that all load management decisions were well above his pay grade. In his experience, he said players still want to play. But it is a decision that presents several perspectives. Mermuys noted that he previously worked as an assistant coach with the Houston Rockets under Kevin McHale in 2012-13. The NBA Hall of Famer saw his career end with a series of back and leg injuries that persisted into his post-playing life.
“He could barely walk and he was in constant pain because he probably played so many times where he shouldn’t have played and there should have been someone looking out for his best interest,” said Mermuys.
Windle said he wouldn’t want to be an early adopter of integrating all this new data into a strength, conditioning and sports science approach because it will likely be a few years before great information is revealed. However, having a trained eye for observing athletes’ movements, he believes the data can reinforce the actions of a team’s personnel when observing players throughout the season.
“I think what happens with young strength coaches and young practitioners is that they rely so much on data that they don’t really have that eye – they just look at the numbers and try to tell a story,” Windle said. “And just because I’m old and I have gray hair, I kind of go to the other side. I watch the movement, I talk to the athlete, and then I want the data to confirm or refute what I think. Then we make decisions based on all of that combined.
You can watch the entire episode below.
