The NBA, like many other sports leagues, has seen its fair share of technological advancements over the years. From analytics to wearable technology, these advances have helped to shape the way the game is played and viewed by fans all around the world.
Before you learn how the technology that surrounds us every day is impacting your favorite game, take a look at the seeded stars and teams with NBA Finals odds as the NBA game day goes underway.
Analytics
Analytics is perhaps the most significant technological advance to have impacted the NBA. It has transformed how teams approach the game, from player evaluation to in-game decision-making.
Advanced statistics have allowed teams to identify and exploit inefficiencies in the game, giving them a competitive advantage over their opponents.
One of the most well-known examples of analytics in the odds NBA is using the “three-pointer”. While the three-pointer has been a part of basketball since the 1980s, it was not until the last decade that teams started to fully embrace its value.
Analytics showed that the three-pointer was a more efficient shot than the mid-range jumper, leading to a significant increase in three-point attempts by teams across the league.
In each of the previous ten seasons, the 3-point rate (the proportion of all field goal attempts that have come from beyond the arc) has increased, going from 22.2% in the 2010–11 to 39.2% in the 2020–21 season. And it has grown more over the past five years than the previous five.
Wearable technology
The league as a whole is on a fast track to the full adoption of wearable technology. Players now wear sensors that track everything from their heart rate to movement patterns during games and practices.
Using these data, teams and their technical outfits can now identify areas where players can improve, identify player workload, and monitor player health and rehabilitation process, to mention but a few.
The wearable microchips have been a huge success due to their limitless potential and also because they don’t interfere with the player’s ability to play comfortably.
SportVU camera
Basketball analysis has completely changed since SportVU cameras (and the data they collect) were installed in every NBA arena. Days of evaluating a player based on traditional metrics like their points, rebounds, assists, blocks, steals, and field goal percentage are long gone. Thanks to this amazing piece of technology, we now have much more visibility.
Otherwise, obscure stats can now be observed. We can now see where and how points were scored, whether a rebound was contested, how many points a player contributed through assists, what shooting percentage an opponent’s defender is able to hold them to at the basket, and much more.
Social media adoption
The emergence of social media has altered how sports fans, writers, and athletes communicate with one another.
There are a large number of people “live tweeting” every odds for NBA championship game. More quickly than ever, their responses, analyses, and—possibly most importantly; highlights are seen and heard.
The NBA and Twitter now regularly collaborate to create a personalized timeline for fans who want to follow the action live during the NBA Finals.
Virtual and augmented reality
Virtual and augmented reality technology has also made its way into the NBA. Fans can now experience games in a whole new way, thanks to VR and AR technology. NBA League Pass, for example, offers a VR experience that allows fans to watch games from a virtual courtside seat.
This technology is still in its early stages, but it has the potential to transform the way fans experience the game.
In addition to enhancing the fan experience, virtual and augmented reality technology has also been used by teams to improve player performance.
Training regimes that are otherwise unfeasible can now be realized easily. Game situations can be simulated, complex tactics recreated accurately, and so on. This nascent technology has the potential to make a significant impact on the development of young players, giving them access to training tools that were previously unavailable.
Zuella Montemayor did her degree in psychology at the University of Toronto. She is interested in mental health, wellness, and lifestyle.
