My 2023-2024 NBA Player Comparative Performance Analysis project represents a transformative approach to understanding the dynamics of professional basketball, blending deep statistical insights with innovative data analysis techniques. As a student in ACAD-220: Data Analytics and Innovation, I was tasked with examining player performance across two consecutive NBA seasons, focusing on uncovering patterns and trends that can offer a clearer view into player consistency and development.
Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships. - MJ
Drawing inspiration from advanced data analysis techniques, specifically paired t-tests and predictive modeling, I proposed a robust framework for examining year-over-year changes in player performance. The analysis centered on extracting meaningful insights from over 75 players’ statistics—balancing the technical rigor of statistical exploration with dynamic visualizations that made the findings accessible to a broad audience. These visualizations helped uncover shifts in key performance metrics such as scoring averages, shooting accuracy, and minutes played.
It was a tremendous opportunity and great pleasure to apply my data science skills to sports—a lifelong passion of mine—and to contribute fresh perspectives on the evolving game. Here's a few things I learned:
After completing this project, I delved deeper into the potential of data-driven insights in sports, focusing on how analytics can support player development and team strategy—a focus reflected in the findings shared here.