While watching the NBA playoffs, I found the publicly available gamecasts to be lacking in value adding information. I set out to build a second-screen experience that would provide a useful additional view with a different perspective than the sideline announcers and boxscore stats. The current design attempts to show the mindset of a hypothetical set of coaching staffs, as far as key considerations.
As a coach, the most important thing on my mind is my current lineup on the floor. I want to make sure I have balance in many different ways.
The most obvious is the positions 1-5. Do I have enough guards versus bigs and overall do I have enough size on the floor? (see Ht - Height and Wt - Weight)
Then I’m thinking whether I’ve got offensive guys, defensive guys, or two-way guys out there (see BPM). Even beyond that, on the offensive side of the ball, do I have enough creators instead of all role guys (see USG%) and do I have enough shooters on the floor (see 3PAr - Percentage of FG Attempts from 3-Point Range).
And then depending on the situation, what type of players are these: young guys or seasoned vets? (see Exp, which is years of experience prior to the current season)
Of course, the other team is doing exactly the same so I need to keep an eye on their lineup as well. With the things I mentioned above, I want to have a sense of how the other team’s lineup fares in these areas and where I see strengths vs weaknesses in either direction.
Are they playing a small-ball lineup against my backup center that can’t punish them for it? Did they go to a weaker defensive lineup when I took my best scorer out?
So how do I take advantage of matchups and make sure I don’t get an unbalanced lineup out there at any point, while also making sure my best players get enough rest?
Subs in the NBA are usually made by plan. Stars will often know when they expect to get their rest. Planning subs before the game helps to solve the balancing problem since all lineups can be checked in advance. Then coaches can tweak the plan as matchup issues and opportunities arise or as the game dictates.
As a coach, I rarely have a great handle on how many points, rebounds, or assists a player has in a game. But I usually have a very good feel for how we are doing when that player is out there. If I sub a guy in for a four minute stint and we blow an 8-point lead, that is definitely something I’ll remember. Same could be said about a guy who brought energy and led a 6-0 run. Hence, tracking +/- over each stint a player plays, shows some approximation of this.
Personal fouls are the thing that screws up rotations most. If two minutes into the second quarter, one of my starters picks up his third foul, some of my subbing plans may go out the window.
I’m always thinking about who my best five are for the last couple minutes of the game and how to get them there. If they are fouled out or gassed when it comes to that, at least part of that is on me. So I have to know personal fouls and minutes played for all guys as the game progresses.
Until the end of the game, I usually don’t know the exact score, but I almost always know the time left in the quarter pretty closely. I also need to know the team foul situation; if either team is in or close to the penalty. And finally, I need to know the refs tendencies and how I can communicate with them most effectively.
Timeout rules in the NBA are complicated, which actually gives more opportunity for a coach to gain an advantage if they use them well. Coaches are forced to take timeouts in certain situations and also stand to forfeit timeouts if a minimum amount have not been used by specific time marks. Smart teams use timeouts in cases where they can cut opponent runs, set up after time-out (ATO) plays, or challenge plays before they are forced to take or lose them.
NBA challenges are an opportunity assessment. Coaches must consider both the likelihood and reward of winning the challenge. A foul called on a three-point shot has a much larger reward when a ruling is overturned than an out of bounds call. Coaches must also consider the cost of a lost opportunity for a future challenge, which is often a harsher penalty for losing a challenge than the lost timeout. For that reason, a call in the first quarter may not be worth the risk to challenge and potentially be without for the rest of the game. Even if correct both times, a team has a maximum of two challenges a game.
If you want to learn more about the decision points, you can read my timeout and challenge strategy page.