Decisional analysis of finishing in basketball

Abstract

TThe present study investigated the decision making linked to the basketball player's shooting and blocking shots based on the Strategic Logic proposed by the coach. A Spanish team which played in EBA League was studied in 4 games in the 2010-2011 season. 7440 motor decisions (ballhandler decisions and his defender) were analyzed using the ad hoc instrument called SODB. Among the most relevant conclusions it is worth mentioning: a) the importance of having a well-defined Coach's Strategic Logic in both offense and defense; b) the interest of assessing the match between the Coach's Strategic Logic and the players' individual decision making; c) a clear trend in the tight decision making of both the ballhandler (offensively) and the player who block shots (defensively) , confirming that the players respected the Coach's Strategic Logic; d) the main variable that helped predict the success of both the ballhandler and the rival of the ballhandler was the correct decision making of the players rather than the game system used; e) shooting and blocking shots in a correct way (following Coach's Strategic Logic) is related to success; and finally, f) the shooting-to-blocking shots binomial is a relationship that depends more on the individual competence of the players involved than on the Coach's Strategic Logic.