The underpinning factors of NBA game-play performance: a systematic review (2001-2020)

Estimating winning percentage of the fourth quarter in close NBA games using Bayesian logistic modeling

This study examined the fourth quarters in the close games in the regular NBA games in the last decade, ranging from the 2013-14 season to the 2022-2023 season. A close game is categorically defined by a scenario where the point differential is confined within a 10-point margin at the onset of the fourth quarter and narrows further to a 5-point disparity by the end of the game. In total, 2,295 close games were identified in this study. Advanced game statistics, including offensive rate, defensive rate, assistance ratio, pace of game, and true shooting percentage, etc., are obtained from the NBA box scores using a python script. Understanding key factors that determine the outcome of the basketball games is critical, as such can be used to develop predictive models for coaches to design game strategies. This study developed a Bayesian Logistic Modeling approach to estimate the winning probability of a basketball team in the fourth quarter, using the pace of the last quarter and a team's shooting percentage. The accuracy of the model is used to evaluate if the model can correctly classify game outcome based on the identified game statistics in the fourth quarter of a game. The binary outcome of the close game is modeled as a Bernoulli distribution. Results reveal that the True Positive Rate and False Positive Rate is 0.93 and 0.07, respectively. Insights from this study can be used to help design coaching strategies in basketball games, illuminating potential tactical pivots that could tilt the game in their favor.

The impact of long haul travel on the sleep of elite athletes

In order to manage and implement strategies to alleviate the symptoms of jet lag it is essential to assess the impact of jet lag in athletes. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of long haul eastward travel on elite athletes' (n = 7 elite national track cyclists; male n = 3, and female n = 4) sleep. The athletes' sleep was monitored before, during and after travel using both actigraphy and self-report measures. Participants wore an activity monitor for 5 days prior to travel, during the long haul travel and 5 days upon arrival at their destination and completed a daily online sleep diary Actigraphy highlighted significant reductions in time in bed, total sleep time and sleep efficiency (%) due to long haul eastward travel, particularly in the 48 h after travel. Sleep diary data exhibited significant reductions in time in bed, total sleep time, sleep efficiency, sleep quality and a significant increase in fatigue going to bed as a result of long haul eastward travel. In order to facilitate the development of interventions to reduce the symptoms and severity of jet lag objective and subjective assessments of sleep should be coupled with assessments of chronotype and perceived sleep need.

Monitoring Internal Load in Women's Basketball via Subjective and Device-Based Methods: A Systematic Review

The monitoring of internal load in basketball can be used to understand the effects and potential physiological adaptations caused by external load. The main aim of this systematic review was to identify the methods and variables used to quantify internal load in female basketball. The studies included different populations and events: youth athletes, elite, and amateur players. Subjective methods included using the rating of perceived exertion (RPE) method, and sensor-based methods included monitoring the cardiac response to exercise, using heart rate (HR) as the primary metric. The results showed that the HRAvg exhibited a wider range of values during training than during competition, and different metrics were used to evaluate internal load, such as HRMax, HRmin, %HRMax, total time and % of time spent in different HR zones (2-8 zones), Banister's TRIMP, and summated HR zones. RPE and HR metrics were the most commonly used methods. However, the use of multiple metrics with little standardization resulted in significant heterogeneity among studies, limiting meaningful comparisons. The review provides a reference for current research on female basketball. Future research could address this limitation by adopting more consistent measurement protocols standardizing the use of metrics.

Impact of COVID-19 lockdown on match performances in the National Basketball Association

This study aimed to compare differences in the match performances between home and away games during pre- and post-COVID-19 lockdown and to identify the key factors to match success with and without spectators. The sample consisted of 1,549 basketball matches including 971 games of the 2019-2020 regular season before the COVID-19 lockdown and 578 ghost matches of the 2020-2021 regular season after the COVID-19 pandemic. The independent t-test was used to explore the differences before and after COVID-19 while univariate and multivariable logistic regression models were used to identify the key factors to match success between matches with and without spectators. Our study identified that offensive rebounds were the only indicator differentiating between home and away games after the COVID-19 lockdown. Furthermore, home teams won more matches than away matches before the COVID-19 whereas home advantage had no impact on winning matches after the COVID-19. Our study suggested that crowd support may play a key role in winning games in the NBA. Furthermore, independently of the pre-and post-COVID19 pandemic, free throws made, three-point field goals made, defensive rebounds, assists, steals, personal fouls, and opponent quality were key factors differentiating between win and loss. Coaches and coaching staff can make informed decisions and well prepare for basketball match strategies.

What are the changes in basketball shooting pattern and accuracy in National Basketball Association in the past decade?

The main research question addressed in this study is if and how the shooting pattern and field-goal accuracy have changed in the NBA league in the past decade. This study analyzes NBA game data from the 2011–2012 regular season to the 2020–2021 season. Field goal attempts are grouped into five categories by the shooting distance. The Mann-Kendall trend test was employed to examine if changes are statistically significant (p < 0.05) over the years. Sixteen equal segments in one basketball game, each with 3 min, were analyzed to examine the shooting pattern in different game segments. Results reveal an increasing trend in the percentage of 3-pointer shooting, which has nearly doubled from 22 to 39%. Meanwhile, the percentage of field goals within the range of 16–24 ft has decreased from 20 to 10%. Field-goal accuracy has shown an increasing trend for all shooting distances except for the 3-pointer shooting. The second and fourth 3-min within each quarter have the highest number of field goals. The first quarter has a higher shooting accuracy than the rest three quarters. In addition, results reveal that the last 3-min in each quarter has the lowest shooting accuracy. Reasons for the patterns of field goals in different segments are discussed from the perspective of game rule changes, the fatigue effects, and coaches’ game strategies. The reasons for changes in activity level and performance in different quarters are also discussed. This study offers new insights into the changes in basketball shooting patterns and accuracy in NBA games in the past decade. Practical meanings of this study for basketball players, coaches, and sports psychologists, as well as the strength and limitations of this study, are discussed.

Influence of Strength Programs on the Injury Rate and Team Performance of a Professional Basketball Team: A Six-Season Follow-Up Study

This study aims to determine possible associations between strength parameters, injury rates, and performance outcomes over six seasons in professional basketball settings. Thirty-six male professional basketball players [mean ± standard deviation (SD): age, 30.5 ± 4.7 years; height, 199.5 ± 9.5 cm; body mass, 97.9 ± 12.9 kg; BMI 24.6 ± 2.5 kg/m2] participated in this retrospective observational study, conducted from the 2008-09 to the 2013-14 season. According to their epidemiological records, each player followed an individual plan designed within different strength training programs: Functional (n = 16), Eccentric (n = 8), or Resistance (n = 12). Seven hundred and fourteen valid records were obtained from 170 individual strength tests during 31 sessions. Tests performed were leg press, squat, and jerk. Parameters recorded were force, power, velocity, peak velocity, and time to peak velocity for strength; time loss injury and muscle injury for injury rate; and games won, games lost, and championships for performance outcomes. All the strength variables and injuries are independent of the strength programs (p < 0.01). The correlation analysis showed very significant relationships between muscular injuries and time to peak velocity (r = 0.94; p < 0.01), significant relationships between force and games lost (r = 0.85; p < 0.05), and muscular injuries with games lost (r = -0.81; p < 0.05) per season. Mean values per season described a possible association of force, time to peak velocity, and muscular injuries with performance outcomes (R 2 = 0.96; p < 0.05). In this specific context, strength variables and injury rate data show no association with a single type of strength training program in this cohort of high-performance basketball players.

A Glimpse of the Sports Nutrition Awareness in Spanish Basketball Players

Basketball is a team sport, with many fans and practitioners worldwide from all ages and levels. In all cases, players accumulate high levels of fatigue, and there is also limited time to recover between games or practices. In particular, nutrition plays a key role in optimizing performance and recovery. However, it is typical to observe erroneous nutritional behaviors among basketball players. It has been theorized that these behaviors are influenced by habits acquired based on the individual’s knowledge. Therefore, the main aim of this study was to conduct a descriptive research of the sports nutrition knowledge and practices in a sample of Spanish basketball players, from athletes under 18 years old (n = 69) to nonprofessional (n = 14) and professional adult players (n = 21). The sample was comprised of 49 men and 55 women. This was a transversal, cross-sectional, observational and descriptive study. All participants (n = 104) completed an anonymous online survey in order to analyze their sports nutrition knowledge and practices. In view of the obtained results, we can conclude that the knowledge of sport-specific nutrition in players under 18 years old, as well as non-professional and professional adult basketball players, is insufficient through all the categories and levels. The lack of professional support and time management difficulties were identified as some of the main barriers.