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Chasing Perfection: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at the High-Stakes Game of Creating an NBA Champion
Chasing Perfection goes behind the scenes of the multi-million dollar, high-stakes world of basketball player development, research and analysis, and the often secretive, cutting-edge methods that NBA franchises use to turn less-expensive, supporting players into vital parts of championship teams.NBA superstars push as close to perfection as we're likely to see, but they are few and far between. The farther you get from the league's top echelon of talent, the more it's up to the players-and their teams-to develop and utilize their strengths while diminishing and masking their weaknesses as much as possible. There are no perfect basketball players, but there are plenty of perfected ones, who start with a basis of skill and physical ability and then are refined further and further in order to move closer and closer to their absolute potential.In Chasing Perfection, national sportswriter Andy Glockner reveals that, though the concept of player improvement is as old as basketball itself, the current era of Big Data analytics in the NBA is transforming that process more quickly and aggressively than anything we have seen before. Players are learning more and more about themselves through video and data visualization, seeing how things like diet and sleep can impact their performance, and learning how having healthy joints and role-specific workout plans are lengthening and improving their careers. Teams are internalizing the same lessons, as well as figuring out how to better implement optimal on-court strategies, how to refine their approaches to player acquisition and how to gauge the varying values and success rates of different, crucial team-building strategies.It's an absolutely fascinating time to be a fan, as the marriage of basketball and technology is bringing two of our most popular and competitive worlds together in compelling fashion. Using the 2014–15 NBA season as a prism to explore this mesh of sport and science, Glockner offers detailed perspective from NBA players, coaches, team management, and media, offering a comprehensive insider's view of how analytics are shaping the basketball we watch, and how those who are lagging behind in the technology race already are feeling the competitive hit.
282 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 8, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
October 12, 2016
I've read a number of baseball books about using statistics to put together better teams. All of those books were quite interesting. This one about basketball was not.
March 7, 2016
Andy Glockner's book is a "behind the scenes look at the high stakes game of creating an NBA champion." It delves into the fairly recent evolution of statistics (big data analytics) and its impact on professional basketball. How is the NBA-- a league of big money and big outcomes -- using this potentially massive amount of data to its advantage? Is it the players, the coaches, the teams, the front offices looking to benefit? How can big data and statistics fit into the traditional paradigm of the NBA as we know it?
I nabbed an advanced copy of this book, because I'm a sports fan and a big NBA fan. I thought the book was going to take a look at the 2014/2015 season and how stats impacted it, but I don't feel that it exactly delivered on its promise. That's not to say it's not a good read. It's certainly enjoyable if you like basketball, particularly the NBA. If you're a fan of statistics and numbers related to your sports, you'll love the book, as it's chock full of data. In fact, so much that it reads like a term paper sometimes. My biggest issue, in fact, was that is was almost a little too dry and statistics heavy, with an outline that jumped around in organization, making it hard to follow and stay engaged. Still, the book is extremely well-researched and you'll pick up a lot of good tidbits to impress fellow sports fans.
Overall, it was amazing to read about the impact of statistics on the NBA and how what would take the video and tape guys hours (probably days ages ago) can now be compiled in seconds by companies with algorithms and computer programs. Glockner introduces to us to several of these firms, including SportsVU, and does a good job explaining their evolution. (Perhaps too good a job - it gets to be a bit much at times.)
Some of my other issues were that, at least in my ebook edition, some of the graphics were hard to read, as all the lines and charts were hard to read - the lines were basically all the same color.
To me, the book was best when Glockner mixed his use of stats with anecdotes and real stories. I'm not exactly sure billing it as a quest to find the most "perfected player" is true, or even a look at the 2014/2015 season, but the stories were fun. There's a short bit on University of Kentucky Coach Calipari's hire of Joel Justus in the analytics realm and how that led to UK's much talked about platoon system for one season - quite a fascinating portion of a chapter. Further, the Colorado State basketball program is a good anecdotal example use of SportsVU and is far less dry than the more stats heavy or less conversational chapters.
Again, the book also gets you thinking: just like any other advantage in sports, stats often help those programs with more money; for instance, the Duke Blue Devils being the only team able to use the SportsVU system in their practice facility (this stuck in my craw, being anti-Duke and all. Go 'Hoos!) It also talks about how young players are showing worse movement than ever (very scary). And, a lot of the book is mind boggling with its repercussions; for instance, a company at the combine is predicting player injuries before these kids are even in the NBA (leading to great questions about who gets that data, what do they do with it, what does it mean for the kids or the teams scouting them, etc.)
Glockner goes into the biomechanics pieces of stats, with some fun and fascinating bits weaved in. He discusses how the company P3 can tell how a player is "off" in his mechanics, for instance, with their amazing system of measurements. This leads to a great Phoenix Suns and Grant Hill anecdote and the resurrection of Grant's career (again, book had more pull to me when it was aligned with an actual team or player that made it seem more real).
The epilogue is what I thought the whole book was about (Golden State using stats to win), but was actually very brief (basically one bit about an assistant who subbed in someone). It's amazing story about how stats can alter an entire NBA finals, but goes out with a whimper.
Overall, it was a good book, but I confess I probably bumped my rating up to a 3-star simply due to my love of basketball. Some of the chapters just seem hodgepodge - as if a bunch of players were just thrown in to talk about stats with no rhyme or reason; it's interesting, but seems random and nonsensical. Are these the most perfected players we were promised? If so, it's not really made clear. The Kyle Korver story near the end of the book finally ties a lot of the book's themes together (analytics, P3, etc.) in a story form, which was interesting and compelling in its format and how I wish more of the book had been presented. Combine that with a little too many numbers for a casual sports fan and the jumping around in organization and there was definitely something lacking. Still, this well-researched novel will appeal to the rabid stats fans and those who want more history about how the burgeoning field of big data analytics is changing the NBA as we speak.
I received an ARC of this novel from Edelweiss (thank you!); it is available for U.S. publication on 3/8. You can check out a review of this novel and many others on my blog.
I nabbed an advanced copy of this book, because I'm a sports fan and a big NBA fan. I thought the book was going to take a look at the 2014/2015 season and how stats impacted it, but I don't feel that it exactly delivered on its promise. That's not to say it's not a good read. It's certainly enjoyable if you like basketball, particularly the NBA. If you're a fan of statistics and numbers related to your sports, you'll love the book, as it's chock full of data. In fact, so much that it reads like a term paper sometimes. My biggest issue, in fact, was that is was almost a little too dry and statistics heavy, with an outline that jumped around in organization, making it hard to follow and stay engaged. Still, the book is extremely well-researched and you'll pick up a lot of good tidbits to impress fellow sports fans.
Overall, it was amazing to read about the impact of statistics on the NBA and how what would take the video and tape guys hours (probably days ages ago) can now be compiled in seconds by companies with algorithms and computer programs. Glockner introduces to us to several of these firms, including SportsVU, and does a good job explaining their evolution. (Perhaps too good a job - it gets to be a bit much at times.)
Some of my other issues were that, at least in my ebook edition, some of the graphics were hard to read, as all the lines and charts were hard to read - the lines were basically all the same color.
To me, the book was best when Glockner mixed his use of stats with anecdotes and real stories. I'm not exactly sure billing it as a quest to find the most "perfected player" is true, or even a look at the 2014/2015 season, but the stories were fun. There's a short bit on University of Kentucky Coach Calipari's hire of Joel Justus in the analytics realm and how that led to UK's much talked about platoon system for one season - quite a fascinating portion of a chapter. Further, the Colorado State basketball program is a good anecdotal example use of SportsVU and is far less dry than the more stats heavy or less conversational chapters.
Again, the book also gets you thinking: just like any other advantage in sports, stats often help those programs with more money; for instance, the Duke Blue Devils being the only team able to use the SportsVU system in their practice facility (this stuck in my craw, being anti-Duke and all. Go 'Hoos!) It also talks about how young players are showing worse movement than ever (very scary). And, a lot of the book is mind boggling with its repercussions; for instance, a company at the combine is predicting player injuries before these kids are even in the NBA (leading to great questions about who gets that data, what do they do with it, what does it mean for the kids or the teams scouting them, etc.)
Glockner goes into the biomechanics pieces of stats, with some fun and fascinating bits weaved in. He discusses how the company P3 can tell how a player is "off" in his mechanics, for instance, with their amazing system of measurements. This leads to a great Phoenix Suns and Grant Hill anecdote and the resurrection of Grant's career (again, book had more pull to me when it was aligned with an actual team or player that made it seem more real).
The epilogue is what I thought the whole book was about (Golden State using stats to win), but was actually very brief (basically one bit about an assistant who subbed in someone). It's amazing story about how stats can alter an entire NBA finals, but goes out with a whimper.
Overall, it was a good book, but I confess I probably bumped my rating up to a 3-star simply due to my love of basketball. Some of the chapters just seem hodgepodge - as if a bunch of players were just thrown in to talk about stats with no rhyme or reason; it's interesting, but seems random and nonsensical. Are these the most perfected players we were promised? If so, it's not really made clear. The Kyle Korver story near the end of the book finally ties a lot of the book's themes together (analytics, P3, etc.) in a story form, which was interesting and compelling in its format and how I wish more of the book had been presented. Combine that with a little too many numbers for a casual sports fan and the jumping around in organization and there was definitely something lacking. Still, this well-researched novel will appeal to the rabid stats fans and those who want more history about how the burgeoning field of big data analytics is changing the NBA as we speak.
I received an ARC of this novel from Edelweiss (thank you!); it is available for U.S. publication on 3/8. You can check out a review of this novel and many others on my blog.
April 4, 2017
A good lesson in the dangers of pinning things too much to one given sports season. The gist of the book isn't bad--what's going on with the rise of analytics in basketball. What makes that interesting is how different basketball is than the sport most obsessed with the use of big data--baseball. Basketball is faster paced, there are fewer players, which allows one individual to have a more outsized effect than any single baseball player does.
The execution, however, feels off. Part of it is the way sections of the book already feel dated. A whole piece about how Kyle Korver is the perfected player and the genius of the Hawks feels dated after Korver got sent to the Cavs, Jeff Teague went to the Pacers, and Atlanta signed Dwight Howard. Other sections just feel sort of obvious--the Rockets shoot a lot of 3's, a point that gets repeated numerous times.
I can't tell if the issue is the author just didn't quite get the right amount of access to really break down how things get scouted or what, but this felt like one of those books I should have just put down in the middle when I realized I wasn't going to gain much from it.
The execution, however, feels off. Part of it is the way sections of the book already feel dated. A whole piece about how Kyle Korver is the perfected player and the genius of the Hawks feels dated after Korver got sent to the Cavs, Jeff Teague went to the Pacers, and Atlanta signed Dwight Howard. Other sections just feel sort of obvious--the Rockets shoot a lot of 3's, a point that gets repeated numerous times.
I can't tell if the issue is the author just didn't quite get the right amount of access to really break down how things get scouted or what, but this felt like one of those books I should have just put down in the middle when I realized I wasn't going to gain much from it.
December 9, 2022
Some years ago, I heard from an agent who was looking at my then-450-page Jewish gangsters of Chicago book. ‘You have a great subject,’ he told me, ‘but you don’t have a story.’
I’m no agent, but that’s more or less what I’d have told Andy Glockner if I’d seen this in manuscript form.
The subject here is great: how has the revolution in advanced statistics, high-end scouting, and physical raining changed basketball in the last decade. As a fan of the NBA, I can see how most teams insist on an almost different game than the one I first saw. If you’re a plus three-point shooter – hitting close to 40 percent of your shots – you have an “effective field goal percentage of 60 percent.” Not only that, because you are spreading the floor rather than driving to the basket and drawing the defense in tight, you’re making it easier for your team to get the rebound.
It's one example of how the numbers tell you that it’s foolish to play the “old-fashioned” way of getting a player some space in the mid-range and shooting. (My beloved Bulls’ star DeMar DeRozan is the reigning champ of such a style, and he’s considered merely a very good player rather than a superstar.)
Then there is the equally obvious trend of resting players more often with an eye toward maximizing their productive time. It’s hard to believe, but a player as great as Kawhi Leonard plays, in a good year now, barely two-thirds of the games. The science says it’s how his body best responds.
Those are just two examples of changes that technology and revolutionary thinking have brought about. In baseball, Michael Lewis told that “story” in his remarkable Moneyball when he focused on the Oakland A’s as they went about their draft when analytics as such was in its infancy.
Here, Glockner can’t seem to decide where he wants to focus. Sometimes he looks at the analysts themselves, the statisticians and scouts who’ve found new ways to look at performance. Sometimes he looks at the coaches, and sometimes the players. He jumps from breakthrough to breakthrough and team to team.
In other words, while he has scads of striking insights, he doesn’t have a narrative that links them.
This should have been a fun book since it deals with players and teams from when I was already a confirmed fan. I know all the names he talks about, and I have my opinions on most of them.
Instead, though, I found this much more of a drag than I imagined. When I did find part of a chapter compelling, it ended quickly. Then, we moved onto the next bit too quickly.
Glockner is not the first to fall short of producing a Moneyball for basketball. Baseball is a different game, one that breaks down much more neatly into a batter-vs-pitcher analysis. Basketball is in constant motion, and it’s tougher to isolate how one player contributes to the whole. That is, to be fair, its fundamental elegance.
So, I did finish this, and I am confident I’d have liked many of the shorter, free-standing articles that may have given birth to it. As it is, though, I wish it held together better. I wish it had a story that made its collection of facts and insights coherent.
I’m no agent, but that’s more or less what I’d have told Andy Glockner if I’d seen this in manuscript form.
The subject here is great: how has the revolution in advanced statistics, high-end scouting, and physical raining changed basketball in the last decade. As a fan of the NBA, I can see how most teams insist on an almost different game than the one I first saw. If you’re a plus three-point shooter – hitting close to 40 percent of your shots – you have an “effective field goal percentage of 60 percent.” Not only that, because you are spreading the floor rather than driving to the basket and drawing the defense in tight, you’re making it easier for your team to get the rebound.
It's one example of how the numbers tell you that it’s foolish to play the “old-fashioned” way of getting a player some space in the mid-range and shooting. (My beloved Bulls’ star DeMar DeRozan is the reigning champ of such a style, and he’s considered merely a very good player rather than a superstar.)
Then there is the equally obvious trend of resting players more often with an eye toward maximizing their productive time. It’s hard to believe, but a player as great as Kawhi Leonard plays, in a good year now, barely two-thirds of the games. The science says it’s how his body best responds.
Those are just two examples of changes that technology and revolutionary thinking have brought about. In baseball, Michael Lewis told that “story” in his remarkable Moneyball when he focused on the Oakland A’s as they went about their draft when analytics as such was in its infancy.
Here, Glockner can’t seem to decide where he wants to focus. Sometimes he looks at the analysts themselves, the statisticians and scouts who’ve found new ways to look at performance. Sometimes he looks at the coaches, and sometimes the players. He jumps from breakthrough to breakthrough and team to team.
In other words, while he has scads of striking insights, he doesn’t have a narrative that links them.
This should have been a fun book since it deals with players and teams from when I was already a confirmed fan. I know all the names he talks about, and I have my opinions on most of them.
Instead, though, I found this much more of a drag than I imagined. When I did find part of a chapter compelling, it ended quickly. Then, we moved onto the next bit too quickly.
Glockner is not the first to fall short of producing a Moneyball for basketball. Baseball is a different game, one that breaks down much more neatly into a batter-vs-pitcher analysis. Basketball is in constant motion, and it’s tougher to isolate how one player contributes to the whole. That is, to be fair, its fundamental elegance.
So, I did finish this, and I am confident I’d have liked many of the shorter, free-standing articles that may have given birth to it. As it is, though, I wish it held together better. I wish it had a story that made its collection of facts and insights coherent.
October 24, 2019
I read the book chasing perfection. This book was all right but it has a lot of good information if
you love basketball. However, if you really like basketball and how the game has evolved, this book is for you. I definitely do not recommend this book if you’re a kid. This book is all about informing you about basketball if you don’t know much about basketball this book will teach you some content but this book is manly for die hard basketball fans. Chasing perfection go back to the beginning of basketball and talks about how the game has involved in a positive way. This book really go in depths and tells you how they determine a good trade and a bad trade. The book talks about how competitive it is, even when the season is not happening. They even talk about how the warriors became a super team. So if you like the warriors and want to know the science about how they became so good then this is your book. In addition, the book really go in depth how technology is evolving the game of basketball. He talks about how high school and all the way up to the pros are taking advantage of the technology. I think the book is a good length and the texts wasn’t too small. Some of the chapters could have been shorten. Chasing perfection overall, really talks about how analytics and the small things can make a basketball team so good.
you love basketball. However, if you really like basketball and how the game has evolved, this book is for you. I definitely do not recommend this book if you’re a kid. This book is all about informing you about basketball if you don’t know much about basketball this book will teach you some content but this book is manly for die hard basketball fans. Chasing perfection go back to the beginning of basketball and talks about how the game has involved in a positive way. This book really go in depths and tells you how they determine a good trade and a bad trade. The book talks about how competitive it is, even when the season is not happening. They even talk about how the warriors became a super team. So if you like the warriors and want to know the science about how they became so good then this is your book. In addition, the book really go in depth how technology is evolving the game of basketball. He talks about how high school and all the way up to the pros are taking advantage of the technology. I think the book is a good length and the texts wasn’t too small. Some of the chapters could have been shorten. Chasing perfection overall, really talks about how analytics and the small things can make a basketball team so good.
October 12, 2017
This book was not what I was looking for. That doesn't mean it was a bad book. It was actually fairly decent in covering how Analytics is being used by teams in the NBA, teams such as the Golden State Warriors.
This book talks about how methods are being used to improve players shots, their stances to prevent injury and how teams with the use of various applications can turn very good players in to even better ones. It also goes in to how Analysts have been able to identify how someone who may not be an elite player from a stats point of view is actually the primary contributor to a team's chemistry and therefore makes that player essential for success.
If you are looking for information on how to put together a strong Fantasy team you won't get what you are looking for in this book. If you are interested in how that mindset is being looked at and put in to play in today's NBA teams then this is the book for you.
Four stars because there is more that maybe could have been touched on, like perhaps more past references to the Jordan or Chamberlain era and reflections on how teams like Jordan's Bulls and Magic's Lakers worked so well although those subjects might be books in themselves I do feel it could have been touched on. Still this was an alright read.
This book talks about how methods are being used to improve players shots, their stances to prevent injury and how teams with the use of various applications can turn very good players in to even better ones. It also goes in to how Analysts have been able to identify how someone who may not be an elite player from a stats point of view is actually the primary contributor to a team's chemistry and therefore makes that player essential for success.
If you are looking for information on how to put together a strong Fantasy team you won't get what you are looking for in this book. If you are interested in how that mindset is being looked at and put in to play in today's NBA teams then this is the book for you.
Four stars because there is more that maybe could have been touched on, like perhaps more past references to the Jordan or Chamberlain era and reflections on how teams like Jordan's Bulls and Magic's Lakers worked so well although those subjects might be books in themselves I do feel it could have been touched on. Still this was an alright read.
September 11, 2018
I really wanted to like this book, as sports analytics is a topic I really enjoy and basketball is far and away my favorite sport, but this book just never felt like it came together. I think Andy most likely did the most he could, but without access to NBA teams (who would never give away their competitive advantages) a lot of the information came across as shallow. Additionally, I thought there would be a lot more of a look into the training regimens of the players.
Finally, it probably didn't help that I read this book 3 years after it's release. This field is rapidly changing and things that seemed novel three years ago seem commonplace, and even obvious now. You can't hold that against the author, but at the same time, the book lost it's relevance quickly.
I wouldn't recommend this for a serious basketball fan, but for someone getting into the sport, or wanting to learn about something from an analytics standpoint it might have some value, though I might point them towards a blog instead.
Finally, it probably didn't help that I read this book 3 years after it's release. This field is rapidly changing and things that seemed novel three years ago seem commonplace, and even obvious now. You can't hold that against the author, but at the same time, the book lost it's relevance quickly.
I wouldn't recommend this for a serious basketball fan, but for someone getting into the sport, or wanting to learn about something from an analytics standpoint it might have some value, though I might point them towards a blog instead.
May 8, 2021
Thanks to the years past, the methods described in this book are no longer cutting edge and not really behind-the-scenes either. I also did not enjoy the presentation, as the chapters devolve around one idea, method, technology being discussed over and over; two technologies will be compared with each other endlessly and in a way that really does not provide any commentary or knowhow of significance to the reader. I'd pass.
April 2, 2022
The first chapter of this book got me excited and thinking that I was about to read a history of NBA analytics. I was disappointed pages into chapter 2.
What I instead found was an unfocused collection of what could have passed for fluff blog posts with no true insights. The graphics in this book were fuzzy and, because of that, difficult to read.
If you are interested in basketball analytics do a web search for blogs and read their posts, do not read this book.
What I instead found was an unfocused collection of what could have passed for fluff blog posts with no true insights. The graphics in this book were fuzzy and, because of that, difficult to read.
If you are interested in basketball analytics do a web search for blogs and read their posts, do not read this book.
January 23, 2021
Would have been a 3.5 if I could have. Some interesting stuff overall but the book definitely drags at certain parts. It might be most enjoyable if you pick and choose certain chapters to focus on. Treating it like some longer form versions of Glockner's work (which I enjoy) might make for a better experience then churning through the whole thing at once.
August 16, 2021
Don’t expect this book to teach you about the details of basketball analytics, but more about how NBA and some college orgs are starting to use it. As someone truly interested in this topic, I did not learn a lot about the technologies, etc, but more about the role of head coaches and executives in using partners and built-in solutions, and the limitations for final decision making.
November 16, 2022
It's a really interesting book. It's all about basketball and some of the teams. It talks about points scored, rebounds, and systems they use. This book also talks about some of the basketball players and teams. As of right now the book is okay, but I probably won't read it again.
May 22, 2018
Just an interesting good read.
February 26, 2021
7.5/10
288 pages
288 pages
January 7, 2022
It can be clunky at times and uses a lot of filler, though it's insight is still baffling.
October 3, 2023
If I would have read this book in 2016 or 2017, probably a different rating score. Overall, the book didn't really "wow" of any kind. Positive side, it was a fast read.
February 2, 2017
This book is pretty much a large summary of how modern day analytics met up with the National Basketball League (NBA). It all started with a man named Louis Guth. Guth was the Vice President of the National Economic Research Associates (NERA) in the 1980’s. Soon after, Guth became interested in sports analytics and started working for the North American Soccer League. About 10 years later, Guth became interested in basketball because he didn't see much improvement in statistical analysis in the NBA. Guth later invented the stats like Player Efficiency Rating (PER), Plus-Minus (+/-), and True Shooting Percentage. These new types of statistics greatly effect how the game of basketball is played today. The author of this book, Andy Glockner, also became interested in how analytics effected the NBA. Glockner then took his intelligence around the NBA and better informed players and coaches about how analytics effect basketball. After this, Glockner then interviewed many teams and asked the if they like the new ideas and analytics in the NBA. Since last year, Glockner has been on different coaching staffs around the league. This book was very interesting.
To be interested in this book, you must enjoy reading about basketball and the National Basketball League (NBA). This book is all about analytics and how they are shaping today's game of basketball. Another thing you must enjoy to be interested in this book is learning while you read a book. Throughout this book, I learned a lot more about basketball than I ever have. I am very interested in sports and I have never read a book that goes into this much detail about basketball. I recommend this book if you like basketball and analytics.
Overall, this book was a pretty decent book with a good story behind it. This book was a summary of how modern day analytics met the NBA. I am very interested it statistics and basketball, and this is a book that puts those two subjects together. I enjoyed reading this book but it could get boring at times. When the author explained what a new statistic was, it got boring. I already knew what all of the new stats were so this part of the book was unnecessary for me to read. Other than the short and boring parts throughout the book, I loved this book.
To be interested in this book, you must enjoy reading about basketball and the National Basketball League (NBA). This book is all about analytics and how they are shaping today's game of basketball. Another thing you must enjoy to be interested in this book is learning while you read a book. Throughout this book, I learned a lot more about basketball than I ever have. I am very interested in sports and I have never read a book that goes into this much detail about basketball. I recommend this book if you like basketball and analytics.
Overall, this book was a pretty decent book with a good story behind it. This book was a summary of how modern day analytics met the NBA. I am very interested it statistics and basketball, and this is a book that puts those two subjects together. I enjoyed reading this book but it could get boring at times. When the author explained what a new statistic was, it got boring. I already knew what all of the new stats were so this part of the book was unnecessary for me to read. Other than the short and boring parts throughout the book, I loved this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 27, 2016
I generally like Andy Glockner's work and I am familiar with him from sports writing - he's very good at understanding analytics and working it into his coverage. This book gives some insights into how some NBA teams are handling the availability of analytics; teams try to create proprietary tools, hire better analysts. And on the court, certain teams and players are obviously more open-minded to the "advanced" or more granular information available.
But like in any endeavor, hiring the quant people also means that those quant people need to communicate their findings with the appropriate grains of salt, and in a manner than both management and the on-court coaching leadership can understand, appreciate, and execute.
Those are tensions in any organization, from government to traditional product-based business, to sales, to software development.
It's clearly written, with many stories from those who chose to speak to Andy Glockner. My criticism is that the examples he uses feel a little limited. And it's not necessarily the writer's fault - the NBA is tight-lipped about how they're going about their analytics work, and some of the best minds are unwilling to speak on what it is they're doing. So, to me, the book felt a little limited, like here are the companies willing to speak (like P3 Sports Science), and when it's only one representative from a certain class of actor in the analytics space, it can feel like an advertisement (or, not that I would slander this book like that, a Fox News panel, lol. Kidding. Don't hate me).
So I liked it, and I came away with some knowledge of the book, but it didn't leave me with changed thinking. I'd give it 3.5 stars, because it was GOOD and very readable, but I reserve four-stars for "this made me take notes" and five stars for "this changed my world view".
But like in any endeavor, hiring the quant people also means that those quant people need to communicate their findings with the appropriate grains of salt, and in a manner than both management and the on-court coaching leadership can understand, appreciate, and execute.
Those are tensions in any organization, from government to traditional product-based business, to sales, to software development.
It's clearly written, with many stories from those who chose to speak to Andy Glockner. My criticism is that the examples he uses feel a little limited. And it's not necessarily the writer's fault - the NBA is tight-lipped about how they're going about their analytics work, and some of the best minds are unwilling to speak on what it is they're doing. So, to me, the book felt a little limited, like here are the companies willing to speak (like P3 Sports Science), and when it's only one representative from a certain class of actor in the analytics space, it can feel like an advertisement (or, not that I would slander this book like that, a Fox News panel, lol. Kidding. Don't hate me).
So I liked it, and I came away with some knowledge of the book, but it didn't leave me with changed thinking. I'd give it 3.5 stars, because it was GOOD and very readable, but I reserve four-stars for "this made me take notes" and five stars for "this changed my world view".
August 28, 2017
Perhaps I am biased here because my work involves a great deal of analytics and coaching, but Chasing Perfection was a tour de force for me.
Yes, Andy Glockner does take a more academic approach to discussing basketball's evolution, and he's not nearly as entertaining as Michael Lewis was in Moneyball. But come on. That's like saying "yeah, he's a great basketball player, but he's no Michael Jordan."
I watch sports often to poach ideas for my business, but basketball is easily the sport I watch the least. However, after I got through Mr. Glockner's treatise I've grown much more interested in the game and players.
The explanations of analytics are interesting, but many are a touch too intensive for the layman. I can understand why others didn't love this book. If you're not willing to wade through some intensive paragraphs then you're not going to love Chasing Perfection.
Where Andy Glockner really shines is when he lets the players talk for themselves. He has a keen eye for documenting only the most revealing passages coaches and stars give him. Even more refreshingly, he quotes them verbatim, allowing the seasoned off-the-cuff remarks color the pages.
I was transfixed. Highly recommended for hardcore basketball fans, or anyone who works as a coach or analyst.
Yes, Andy Glockner does take a more academic approach to discussing basketball's evolution, and he's not nearly as entertaining as Michael Lewis was in Moneyball. But come on. That's like saying "yeah, he's a great basketball player, but he's no Michael Jordan."
I watch sports often to poach ideas for my business, but basketball is easily the sport I watch the least. However, after I got through Mr. Glockner's treatise I've grown much more interested in the game and players.
The explanations of analytics are interesting, but many are a touch too intensive for the layman. I can understand why others didn't love this book. If you're not willing to wade through some intensive paragraphs then you're not going to love Chasing Perfection.
Where Andy Glockner really shines is when he lets the players talk for themselves. He has a keen eye for documenting only the most revealing passages coaches and stars give him. Even more refreshingly, he quotes them verbatim, allowing the seasoned off-the-cuff remarks color the pages.
I was transfixed. Highly recommended for hardcore basketball fans, or anyone who works as a coach or analyst.
March 13, 2016
I think this book is marketed and designed incorrectly. Largely, it is retelling of stories that would be relatively well known to those of us who love NBA Twitter. You know who you are. My expectations were higher. If it looked and admitted to being an entry point for the casual fan, I probably wouldn't have read it, and likely would expect better reviews. That's not to say there isn't good stuff in here. There is. Just not 300 pages worth.
Also, hard to start a book on the details of analytics by admitting no one would speak substantively on the subject.
Also, hard to start a book on the details of analytics by admitting no one would speak substantively on the subject.
April 21, 2016
A look into modern analytics in evaluating players and building teams. While not quite as dry as that last sentence would suggest, the book does suffer from a lack of engaging writing. The author is a long time sportswriter and that's what this feels like. It, like a lot of nonfiction, probably could have just been a long article.
Again, the thing that made Bill James famous and separates him from so many in the field isn't so much his advances in sports statistics, but in how her presented them. It's not necessarily what you say, but how you say it.
Again, the thing that made Bill James famous and separates him from so many in the field isn't so much his advances in sports statistics, but in how her presented them. It's not necessarily what you say, but how you say it.
March 20, 2017
I wanted to read about analytics as applied to basketball. This book does that, but it is not as engaging as Moneyball. (Probably shouldn't compare any author to Michael Lewis - Sorry, Mr. Glockner.) The analytics are good, but a lot of what NBA teams do with their data analysis is "classified," so some of the book is conjecture. Also, unless you really know the lingo parts of this will lose you. Decent overall, I look forward to more from this author.
April 24, 2016
If I were more of a basketball fan, I'd probably give this three stars. But I am more of a baseball fan and liked Big Data Baseball more than this book. One take that I got from this is more teams should rest their players like Greg Popovich and the San Antonio Spurs; and not just in basketball.
May 17, 2016
Compelling read with good insight into the current use of analytics in the NBA. Also covered advances in individual player development and injury avoidance, and analytical approaches to building a team. Enjoyed the book and would recommend for NBA fans.
July 18, 2016
Really, really uneven and all over the place. I feel like he tried to write a book but couldn't focus on one thing. He ends the book talking about stuff he never focused on. Had some interesting quotes and stuff but overall I wouldn't recommend it.
August 2, 2019
The 'Moneyball' of the NBA. I'm not even a big NBA fan but loved this book. The way that data analytics has taken over sports is fascinating, and also generates ideas on how it can be incorporated into other fields and everyday life.
July 5, 2016
A nice review of analytics in basketball. Perhaps a bit too focused on the 2014-15 season.
September 15, 2016
Modern analytics meets professional basketball!
December 8, 2016
Even for a basketball junkie I did not enjoy this
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