Characterization of Space and Time-Dependence of 3-Point Shots in Basketball

Understanding characteristics of 3-point shots is paramount for modern basketball success, as in recent decades, 3-point shots have become more prevalent in the NBA. They accounted for 33,6% of the number of total shots in 2017-2018, compared to only 3% in 1979-1980. In this paper, we aim at better understanding the connections between the type of 3-point shooting (catch-and-shoots and pull-ups) and the timing for shooting, using two distinct space-time models of player motion. Those models allow us to identify individual behavior as a function of specific defensive settings, e.g. shot-behavior when a player is guarded closely. We assess our models using SportVU data for specific NBA players and our code is open-source to enable more players and teams explorations, as well as to support further research and application of those models, beyond basketball and sport.

@inproceedings{rolland:hal-02482706,
  TITLE = ,
  AUTHOR = {Rolland, Gabin and Vuillemot, Romain and Bos, Wouter and Rivi{\`e}re, Nathan},
  URL = {https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-02482706},
  BOOKTITLE = ,
  ADDRESS = {Boston, United States},
  YEAR = {2020},
  MONTH = Mar,
  PDF = {https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-02482706/file/characterization_of_Space_and_Time-Dependece_of_3-Point_Shots_in_Basketball.pdf},
  HAL_ID = {hal-02482706},
  HAL_VERSION = {v1},
}