Chasing Perfection: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at the High-Stakes Game of Creating

The Nile on eBay   Chasing Perfection by Andy Glockner

A "Moneyball for basketball"-style narrative account of the multi-million dollar, high-stakes world of player development, research and analysis, and the often secretive cutting-edge methods that pro basketball franchises implement to turn less expensive, supporting high school and college players into NBA champions.

FORMATHardcover LANGUAGEEnglish CONDITIONBrand New Publisher Description

Chasing Perfection goes behind the scenes of the multi-million dollar, high-stakes world of basketball player development, research and analysis, and the often secretive, cutting-edge methods that NBA franchises use to turn less-expensive, supporting players into vital parts of championship teams.NBA superstars push as close to perfection as we're likely to see, but they are few and far between. The farther you get from the league's top echelon of talent, the more it's up to the players,and their teams,to develop and utilize their strengths while diminishing and masking their weaknesses as much as possible. There are no perfect basketball players, but there are plenty of perfected ones , who start with a basis of skill and physical ability and then are refined further and further in order to move closer and closer to their absolute potential.In Chasing Perfection , national sportswriter Andy Glockner reveals that, though the concept of player improvement is as old as basketball itself, the current era of Big Data analytics in the NBA is transforming that process more quickly and aggressively than anything we have seen before. Players are learning more and more about themselves through video and data visualization, seeing how things like diet and sleep can impact their performance, and learning how having healthy joints and role-specific workout plans are lengthening and improving their careers. Teams are internalizing the same lessons, as well as figuring out how to better implement optimal on-court strategies, how to refine their approaches to player acquisition and how to gauge the varying values and success rates of different, crucial team-building strategies.It's an absolutely fascinating time to be a fan, as the marriage of basketball and technology is bringing two of our most popular and competitive worlds together in compelling fashion. Using the 2014-15 NBA season as a prism to explore this mesh of sport and science, Glockner offers detailed perspective from NBA players, coaches, team management, and media, offering a comprehensive insider's view of how analytics are shaping the basketball we watch, and how those who are lagging behind in the technology race already are feeling the competitive hit.

Author Biography

Andy Glockner has been a national writer and editor for college basketball (as well as the NBA draft and soccer) for 12 years, first at ESPN.com, then with SI.com, and now as the co-founder and Executive Editor of The Cauldron (@TheCauldron), a national sports publication incubated by Medium.com and operating in partnership with SI.com. He lives in Denver, Colorado.

Review

Praise for Chasing Perfection Jay Bilas, ESPN basketball analyst and author of Toughness "Every player hears about working and playing hard, but the game is rewarding those that work and play smart. Chasing Perfection is a terrific look at how every level of the game, from high school to the pros, is taking advantage of cutting-edge technology and new strategies to find and develop better players, teams, and game plans." Fran Fraschilla, ESPN basketball analyst and former head coach at Manhattan, St. John's, and New Mexico "Andy Glockner takes you on a fascinating and entertaining look inside the world of basketball analytics. Whether you are 'old school' or 'new school', you will know a lot more about the game of basketball than you did before." Doug Gottlieb, host of The Doug Gottlieb Show on CBS Sports Network "If you love basketball and you love learning about how basketball is evolving, this is the book for you. Throwing around the term 'analytics' sounds cool, but what if you really knew how math and science are playing roles in perfecting the game? Chasing Perfection nails this, in depth and in timely fashion." Library Journal, 3/1/16 "[A] balanced account...Highly recommended for NBA junkies who scour box scores." Booklist, 3/15/16 "Solid, and just in time for this year's playoffs." Washington Post, 3/20/16 "[A] revealing...look into the world of advanced analytics, training technologies, roster management and peak fitness strategies for professional and collegiate basketball." Signature, 3/22/16 "As Michael Lewis did with baseball in Moneyball, sportswriter Glocker shows how scrutiny of seemingly obscure performance stats drives everything from predicting how much a young player will improve to improving a three-point shooter's accuracy in the NBA with Chasing Perfection." BBallBreakdown.com, 3/23/16 "Chasing Perfection will not only show how analytics become so popular in basketball, but will take you through how organizations use all forms of advanced metrics to construct their roster in the best possible way. The book is perfect for both analytic novices and those that have stats.nba.com as their homepage...After reading this, you will know doubt have a better appreciation for how off the court information is translated to on court success." The Bookworm Sez, 6/2/16 "Perfect for hardcore hoopsters."

Long Description

Chasing Perfection goes behind the scenes of the multi-million dollar, high-stakes world of basketball player development, research and analysis, and the often secretive, cutting-edge methods that NBA franchises use to turn less-expensive, supporting players into vital parts of championship teams.NBA superstars push as close to perfection as we're likely to see, but they are few and far between. The farther you get from the league's top echelon of talent, the more it's up to the players,and their teams,to develop and utilize their strengths while diminishing and masking their weaknesses as much as possible. There are no perfect basketball players, but there are plenty of perfected ones , who start with a basis of skill and physical ability and then are refined further and further in order to move closer and closer to their absolute potential.In Chasing Perfection , national sportswriter Andy Glockner reveals that, though the concept of player improvement is as old as basketball itself, the current era of Big Data analytics in the NBA is transforming that process more quickly and aggressively than anything we have seen before. Players are learning more and more about themselves through video and data visualization, seeing how things like diet and sleep can impact their performance, and learning how having healthy joints and role-specific workout plans are lengthening and improving their careers. Teams are internalizing the same lessons, as well as figuring out how to better implement optimal on-court strategies, how to refine their approaches to player acquisition and how to gauge the varying values and success rates of different, crucial team-building strategies.It's an absolutely fascinating time to be a fan, as the marriage of basketball and technology is bringing two of our most popular and competitive worlds together in compelling fashion. Using the 2014-15 NBA season as a prism to explore this mesh of sport and science, Glockner offers detailed perspective from NBA players, coaches, team management, and media, offering a comprehensive insider's view of how analytics are shaping the basketball we watch, and how those who are lagging behind in the technology race already are feeling the competitive hit.

Review Quote

Praise for Chasing Perfection Jay Bilas, ESPN basketball analyst and author of Toughness "Every player hears about working and playing hard, but the game is rewarding those that work and play smart. Chasing Perfection is a terrific look at how every level of the game, from high school to the pros, is taking advantage of cutting-edge technology and new strategies to find and develop better players, teams, and game plans." Fran Fraschilla, ESPN basketball analyst and former head coach at Manhattan, St. John's, and New Mexico "Andy Glockner takes you on a fascinating and entertaining look inside the world of basketball analytics. Whether you are 'old school' or 'new school', you will know a lot more about the game of basketball than you did before." Doug Gottlieb, host of The Doug Gottlieb Show on CBS Sports Network "If you love basketball and you love learning about how basketball is evolving, this is the book for you. Throwing around the term 'analytics' sounds cool, but what if you really knew how math and science are playing roles in perfecting the game? Chasing Perfection nails this, in depth and in timely fashion." Library Journal , 3/1/16 "[A] balanced account...Highly recommended for NBA junkies who scour box scores." Booklist , 3/15/16 "Solid, and just in time for this year's playoffs." Washington Post , 3/20/16 "[A] revealing...look into the world of advanced analytics, training technologies, roster management and peak fitness strategies for professional and collegiate basketball." Signature , 3/22/16 "As Michael Lewis did with baseball in Moneyball , sportswriter Glocker shows how scrutiny of seemingly obscure performance stats drives everything from predicting how much a young player will improve to improving a three-point shooter's accuracy in the NBA with Chasing Perfection ." BBallBreakdown.com, 3/23/16 " Chasing Perfection will not only show how analytics become so popular in basketball, but will take you through how organizations use all forms of advanced metrics to construct their roster in the best possible way. The book is perfect for both analytic novices and those that have stats.nba.com as their homepage...After reading this, you will know doubt have a better appreciation for how off the court information is translated to on court success." The Bookworm Sez, 6/2/16 "Perfect for hardcore hoopsters."

Promotional "Headline"

A "Moneyball for basketball"-style narrative account of the multi-million dollar, high-stakes world of player development, research and analysis, and the often secretive cutting-edge methods that pro basketball franchises implement to turn less expensive, supporting high school and college players into NBA champions.

Description for Sales People

A slam dunk formula: Like immensely popular sports books such as Moneyball, The Big Book of Basketball, and The Extra 2%, Chasing Perfection explores a topic that appeals to sports fans and geeks alike: how analytics and teambuilding, not raw athleticism, are key to success in sports.Timely insights to appeal to the massive national audience of basketball fans: Nearly 18 million people tuned in to the 2014 NBA Finals. Because this book discusses high school, college, and pro basketball, it appeals to a wide audience of basketball fans. As the 2014-2015 Season (which provides Chasing Perfection's narrative arc) winds down, the top team is the Golden State Warriors. Few experts picked them to rise so soon, yet they're the toast of the NBA, with an audience-pleasing style that bulldozes the rest of the league on a near-nightly basis. How did they do it? Chasing Perfection answers that and many other questions, examining the Warriors and the other NBA teams.Inside information every basketball fan, player, and coach wants to know: Glockner has significant connections, including head coaches, assistant coaches, current and former players, school and league administrators, and local and national media. His have direct access to players, coaches, scouts, and parents offers exclusive insight into player acquisitions.Author platform: Glockner has been a national writer and editor for college basketball for over 11 years, at ESPN.com, SI.com, and now as executive editor of The Cauldron (a news sports vertical for Medium.com), which recently expanded through its online partnership with Sports Illustrated. Glockner has over 25K followers on Twitter The Cauldron has more than 19K.Poised to spark online discussion: Sports analysis-related websites, blogs, and sites such as ESPN, SI, Grantland, and FiveThirtyEight have big online followings that allow for big online debates as players take to social media. Andy Glockner's buzz-worthy pinpointing of the top 10 current "Perfected players" and the most "Perfected Player" will spark strong online discussions.Significant distribution deals in the works for The Cauldron should fuel additional growth. The site is developing relationships with teams and agencies that have allowed The Cauldron to publish first-person content from Chris Kluwe (former Vikings punter, social activist), Carl Banks (former NY Giants LB), Malcolm Smith (Super Bowl MVP Seahawks LB) and Le'Veon Bell (Steelers RB)

Details ISBN0306824027 Author Andy Glockner Pages 288 ISBN-10 0306824027 ISBN-13 9780306824029 Format Hardcover Imprint Da Capo Press Inc Place of Publication Cambridge, MA Language English Media Book Year 2016 Subtitle A Behind-the-Scenes Look at the High-Stakes Game of Creating an NBA Champion Short Title CHASING PERFECTION DEWEY 796.323 Publication Date 2016-03-08 Country of Publication United States Audience General/Trade Publisher Hachette Books US Release Date 2016-03-08 UK Release Date 2016-03-08 NZ Release Date 2016-03-07 AU Release Date 2016-03-07 We've got this

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