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Articles by Ben Alamar
Learn Basketball Analytics from NBA analytics guru Dean Oliver
Course Details Weekly Interactive Zoom Video Chats: A unique aspect of each 8-week course is the opportunity for students to participate in weekly, live interactive zoom video chats withworld-renowned statisticianDean Oliver, fellow students, Dr. Lynn Lashbrook, and renowned guest speakers. This is a tremendous opportunity to network within professional basketball via the Internet. This is available via any online computer.
Alamar: Are the Nuggets a Finals contender or an early out in waiting?
Seems like every year a new team shoots up the standings and surprises everyone with their regular season performance, only to severely underperform in the playoffs (I’m looking at you, last year’s Raptors and Trail Blazers). This year, the prime candidate for regular-season lion and playoff lamb is the Denver Nuggets.
Alamar: Predicting the winner of the 2019 ASG Skills Challenge
The NBA All-Star extravaganza is once again upon us and as part of that, of course, comes the 2019 Taco Bell Skills Challenge. This year’s field includes two all-star centers named Nikola (Jokic and Vucevic), two rookies (Trae Young and Luka Doncic), as well as one perennial almost all-star in Mike Conley (Jason Tatum, Kyle Kuzma, and De’Aaron Fox are also competing).
Alamar: For traditional Three & D players, the future is coming fast
There are fads in every league and the NBA is no exception. As soon as a player, or a type of player, finds success, other teams try to find a player that fits into that mold. Every draft room, for example, during the last draft tried to determine if Trae Young was the next Steph Curry or the next Jimmer Fredette. Fads often evolve at the same time the game itself evolves. As 3-point attempts began to rise in the NBA over the last 10 to 15 years, so did the role player known as the Three and D guy.
Nikola Jokic for MVP is not a joke: The numbers behind why it makes sense
The names floated for MVP are usually familiar and this season is no exception — Giannis, Curry, Durant, Davis — and of course LeBron. But with the surprising Denver Nuggets currently leading the West, this sets the scene for Nikola Jokic to quietly enter the conversation and, so far this season, he has established a strong early season case for himself. One of the hard parts about arguing about who the MVP should be is that it is not clear exactly how MVP is defined.
What Are The Odds?
What happens when you take twenty handpicked creatives and luminaries, give them each two minutes before a live audience and the same (fuzzy) question to unravel? That's the premise behind 20x2, the popular event staged for the past eighteen years at SXSW Interactive in Austin. Join us as our twenty wrangle with the question "What Are The Odds?" You'll laugh, you may cry, and you may just come away inspired.
Attacks on James Harden's defense are mostly unfair
Mar 7, 2018 Ben AlamarESPN Stats & Info Close ESPN Director of Production Analytics Worked for NFL and NBA teams Author of the book "Sports Analytics" You might have seen a meme or even a sarcastic video compilation lamenting James Harden's defensive abilities, his defensive effort, or lack thereof. It might also be fair to wonder whether Harden's issues on defense signal a bigger problem for a Houston Rockets team battling for the top seed in the West, one that has NBA title aspirations.
Brandon Ingram is the top prospect in the draft according the ESPN Analytics projections.
Brandon Ingram is the top prospect in the draft according the ESPN Analytics projections.Ben Alamar, ESPN Analytics
LeBron James intimida, pero estos son otros Warriors
LeBron James ha tenido una actuación sobresaliente en los playoffs de la NBA de 2017 - significativamente "volteando el interruptor" y jugando a un nivel muy por encima de donde se desempeñó durante la temporada regular.Está anotando más eficientemente, llegando a la línea más a menudo y cometiendo menos pérdidas de balón en el final ofensivo.
Why LeBron James won't carry the Cleveland Cavaliers to a title this time
May 25, 2017 Ben AlamarESPN Stats & Info Close ESPN Director of Production Analytics Worked for NFL and NBA teams Author of the book "Sports Analytics" LeBron James has had an outstanding run in the 2017 NBA playoffs -- significantly "flipping the switch" and playing at a level well above where he performed during the regular season. On opening night, the Warriors were stunned in Oakland and the Celtics' high hopes took a tumble.
Which teams does BPI give the edge to for the No. 1 seeds?
Heading into the conference tournaments, it is unclear who will take the top four spots in the men's NCAA basketball tournament. The committee officially uses RPI as a guide, and by that measure, Villanova, Kansas, Louisville and North Carolina are in the top four spots. As at least one of those teams will fail to win its conference tournament (Louisville and North Carolina can’t split the ACC), it is unlikely that those four teams will be remain at the top.
How the Cleveland Cavaliers can beat the Golden State Warriors
ESPN's Basketball Power Index gives the Cleveland Cavaliers only a 25 percent chance of beating the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals. Given that steep hill to climb, the Cavaliers have to craft a game plan that takes advantage of their strengths and the matchups that favor them, while minimizing their weaknesses and avoiding unfavorable matchups.
How the Golden State Warriors can repeat as NBA champions
ESPN's Basketball Power Index gives the Golden State Warriors a 75 percent chance to repeat as NBA champions. However, they just escaped a tough seven-game series with the Oklahoma City Thunder and now have to refocus on a Cleveland Cavaliers team that seems to be playing its best basketball.The toughest matchup for the Warriors, as is the case for any team, is dealing with LeBron James.
How Cleveland Cavaliers can defeat Toronto Raptors
The Cleveland Cavaliers have had the best offense in the Eastern Conference this season and have reminded their opponents of that fact during the playoffs by posting a playoff-best 117 points per 100 possessions.
How the Toronto Raptors can defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers
Despite winning a franchise-record 56 games in the regular season, the Toronto Raptors are the lone mystery team left in the playoffs.
BPI: How ability, experience impact playoffs odds
After sweeping the New Orleans Pelicans out of the first round of the playoffs and generally dominating the NBA all season long, it is no surprise ESPN's Basketball Power Index gives the Golden State Warriors the best odds of winning the NBA Finals at 38 percent.What is surprising, however, is that the the San Antonio Spurs have the next-best odds at 29 percent despite having yetto emerge from the first round.San Antonio would then have to face the gauntletknown asthe rest of the Western...
BPI: Can the West upset the Warriors?
The Golden State Warriors head into the playoffs as overwhelming favorites in their first-round series against the New Orleans Pelicans ESPN's Basketball Power Index gives the Warriors a 93 percent chance to win the series and a 27 percent chance to sweep the Pelicans in four games.
BPI: Can the West upset the Warriors?
The Golden State Warriors head into the playoffs as overwhelming favorites in their first-round series against the New Orleans Pelicans ESPN's Basketball Power Index gives the Warriors a 93 percent chance to win the series and a 27 percent chance to sweep the Pelicans in four games.
BPI: Thunder have easier road to playoffs than Pelicans
Four games are left for the Oklahoma City Thunder and the New Orleans Pelicans, and both teams are tied for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference playoffs. Both are anchored by MVP candidates and have struggled with injuries all season.ESPN's Basketball Power Index gives the Thunder a 54 percent chance of capturing the last spot.
BPI: Thunder have easier road to playoffs than Pelicans
Four games are left for the Oklahoma City Thunder and the New Orleans Pelicans, and both teams are tied for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference playoffs. Both are anchored by MVP candidates and have struggled with injuries all season.ESPN's Basketball Power Index gives the Thunder a 54 percent chance of capturing the last spot.
BPI: Analyzing a potential top-16 playoff system
ESPN's Chris Broussard recently reported about the growing support among NBA executives for restructuring the NBA playoffs to take the top 16 teams in terms of wins, regardless of conference.From the execs' perspective, the argument for this shift is clear: The conferences are not balanced competitively, so good teams will be left out of the playoffs while less-worthy teams make it.
Houston Rockets-Portland Trail Blazers game advance
The 4-Point Play looks at the four analytics-based storylines that will make you smarter when watching Wednesday’s game between the Houston Rockets (eighth in BPI) and the Portland Trail Blazers (fifth in BPI).
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