March 2013 -
Basketball
Our packages feature a persuasive combination of statistics, charts, descriptions and analysis. Agents find them invaluable for recruiting college players,
NBA Draft preparation and free agency. Call Steve Fall at 512-852-8193 to discuss your needs.
Combining Observation with Analytics
All-around talents like Victor Oladipo don’t come around often. But even his strongest supporters had to be surprised when Magic Johnson
compared Oladipo to Dwyane Wade during a February ESPN telecast.
When it comes to hitting the boards and forcing mistakes, Oladipo could be the best shooting guard prospect since Wade. He was averaging more than 3
offensive rebounds and 3 steals per 40 minutes (through games of March 9). Wade is the last drafted player at any position to reach those levels
(in 2001-02).
Oladipo and Wade also own identical assist ratios in their age-20 seasons (see chart below).
Wade scored at a higher rate per possession but had a much higher usage rate than Oladipo, who has a significant edge in all shooting
categories.
Oladipo is shooting an extraordinary 67 percent inside the three-point line this season. No guard taken in the past five drafts came close
to matching that. His 1.71 points per field goal attempt ratio tops all drafted guards in that timeframe except Kyrie Irving (1.85). Other
guards who made the top 10 include Ty Lawson (1.70), James Harden (1.63), and Damian Lillard (1.58).
Other factors make Oladipo better than his core stats reveal. He turns 21 this May, which makes him younger that most juniors. In fact, he’s
over six months younger than sophomore draft prospect Michael Carter-Williams.
4 Reasons Why Twitter is Awesome for Agents
It’s great to see so many agents getting on Twitter. An effective, on-going social media program not only builds your agency’s brand,
but helps your clients as well.
Social media pays off in many ways for agents:
1) Search Engine Optimization/Control. Twitter elevates both your agency’s ranking – and your website’s ranking – on Google. Have you
searched online for your agency lately? Go
to Google and see how “The Sports Resource” dominates the top results. Among the results
shown for your agency, how many do you control?
2) Connect with Young Players. Social media makes your agency more attractive for potential clients, since most of them use Twitter
regularly.
3) Generate Buzz. Twitter allows agents to communicate directly with fans of your players without the media’s filter.
4) Build Value with Analytics. Sharing insightful player statistics on Twitter generates publicity and adds value, especially if you
post innovative stats superior to content found on mainstream websites.
MIT Sports Analytics Conference Highlights
The MIT Sloan Sport Analytics Conference gets bigger and better every year. More than 2,700 attendees filled the Boston Convention
Center on March 1-2. Here are a few key points for agents. We’ll also post more detailed information on The Sports Resource Blog
1) According to the attendee list, 29 of the 30 NBA teams came to the show. That ranged from one representative to as many as nine
(the Rockets).
2) Research presented by Kirk Goldsberry, a professor at Michigan State and Grantland contributor, reinforced the value of interior
defense. NBA players make 39 percent of their shots beyond seven feet, but they hit over 60 percent near the rim.
3) Stan Van Gundy stated that he doesn’t find information on five-man lineup combinations valuable, because most of the time they play
limited minutes together.
The Sports Resource
Blog, Twitter and Facebook
The
Sports Resource Blog features posts of interest to sports agents.
"Like"
The Sports Resource Facebook page to receive insightful statistical
information. You can also follow Steve Fall on Twitter at
https://www.twitter.com/StatsMan.
Note:
All players used in this newsletter and our sample charts are selected at
random. None of the information comes from actual projects for agents. All projects and conversations
are confidential.
|
