From Pixels to Points: Using Tracking Data to Measure Performance in Professional Sports

In this talk I will explore how players perform, both individually and as a team, on a basketball court. By blending advanced spatio-temporal models with geography inspired mapping tools, we are able to understand player skill far better than either individual tool allows. Using optical tracking data consisting of hundreds of millions of observations, I will demonstrate these ideas by characterizing defensive skill and decision making in NBA players.