Episode 202: Seth Partnow, Coaching Lessons From The Midrange Theory

Guest: Seth Partnow, Author and Basketball Researcher

Author and basketball researcher Seth Partnow join the Basketball Podcast to share insights on basketball's evolution in the age of analytics.

Partnow covers the NBA and basketball analytics for The Athletic. He is also a Special Advisor to the CEO at StatsBomb. He is the former Director of Basketball Research for the Milwaukee Bucks.

The Mid Range Theory book dives into topics From shot selection to evaluating prospects to considering aesthetics and ethics while analyzing the box scores, Partnow deftly explores where the NBA is now, how it got here, and where it might be going next. Check out the book here: The Midrange Theory

Before Seth Partnow's time in the NBA, he was lead writer and managing editor of The Nylon Calculus, a leading basketball analytics website. Seth previously worked as an educational consultant focusing on issues of cross-cultural communication and learning styles in Alaska. Though a very different context, this experience honed the skills needed to successfully navigate the often difficult divide between data science and statistics on one hand and sport-specific expertise on the other.

Breakdown

1:00 - Why We Will Read Your Book

3:30 - Cognitive Biases

7:30 - Ask Questions

9:00 - Analytics

11:00 - Dean Oliver's 4 Factors

15:00 - Open Shot

19:00 - Chin Example

22:30 - Advantage of Advantage

26:00 - What is Changing

30:00 - Short and Long Term Success

34:00 - Ball Screen