One of the most hotly debated topics in Formula 1 is over who should receive more of the plaudits for success, the car, or the driver. There are many views that range over the entire spectrum of opinions, from those who believe that the best car would win even with the worst driver, to those who think that the best driver can single-handedly drag a middling car to greatness. As a Formula 1 fan, I have always been very intrigued by this question. The goal of my analysis in the paper is to provide a quantitative look at this age-old question and set up a foundation upon which further empirical ..read more

  If you were a Formula 1 team principal, would you rather have the best driver or the best car? For those of you who are regular readers of the blog, firstly, thank you for your support. It means a lot to me. Secondly, this might seem like a weird hook, considering my previous articles have all been about basketball. While that is true, I am actually a big fan of multiple sports, including football (soccer to American readers), baseball, Formula 1, and yes, basketball. Instead of creating a different blog for each sport, I figured it would be better to write about multiple different spor ..read more

Pete Maravich once said, “I don’t want to play 10 years (in the NBA) and then die of a heart attack when I’m 40.” Ironically, Maravich would play for 10 years in the NBA, and would die of heart failure at the age of 40. Maravich was a talented high school basketball player, and his identifying nickname, ‘Pistol’, originated in high school. This name came from his unorthodox shooting form. Maravich would shoot the ball from his side, from a position similar to where a gun was held. Maravich would burnish his already growing legend with a storied college career. With a total of 3,667 points an ..read more

A little while ago, I made a post about how the San Antonio Spurs could get better using statistics. A season and change later, it’s time to re-examine the players involved in that piece and see how the Spurs are playing. As of the new year of 2022, the Spurs are 14-20, with the 5 players averaging the most minutes per game being Dejounte Murray, Keldon Johnson, Derrick White, Jakob Poeltl, and Doug McDermott. Murray is the only player who was in the starting 5 from last season. White, Johnson, Poeltl were all on the roster and have moved into bigger roles, while McDermott is a free agent si ..read more

Most basketball fans are aware about the vast majority of NBA players, even if only in passing. The global reach of the NBA ensures that fans from all around the world are aware of players and their exploits. However, a lot of college basketball players who do not make it to the NBA are not given their due. This occurs because of the regional nature of college basketball, and this leads to some college legends not getting their fair share of plaudits. One such player is Melvin McLaughlin. Nicknamed ‘Sugar’ for his sweet shooting skills, McLaughlin was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan and spent ..read more

In the 1980s, the NBA shot into the national spotlight, buoyed by the rivalry of Magic Johnson’s LA Lakers and Larry Bird’s Boston Celtics. These rosters were chock full of multiple time NBA All-Stars, with the Lakers boasting Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and the Celtics having Kevin McHale and Robert Parrish. The NBA also boasted luminaries such as Moses Malone, Julius Erving, Sidney Moncrief, and later in the decade, Michael Jordan and Hakeem Olajuwon. However, the player who scored the most points throughout the 1980s is not one of the many listed above, but Alex English, a player who has become a ..read more

Before Michael Jordan was crowned ‘His Airness’, there was a player who electrified the NBA with his own high-flying, above the rim style of play. Thompson’s legend first started in college at North Carolina State, when in his freshman season, he led the Wolfpack to a 27-0 unbeaten record. In the 1973-74 season, Thompson led the NC State Wolfpack to victory in the NCAA Tournament, winning the Most Outstanding Player during the tournament. He is also credited as the progenitor of the alley-oop pass along with teammate Monte Towne. Thompson averaged around 27 points and 8 rebounds over his col ..read more

  In the 2004 Olympics, the US Men’s Nation Basketball team, led by players like Allen Iverson and Tim Duncan, and featuring a young Dwyane Wade and LeBron James. The US team was also coached by Larry Brown, who won the NBA championship with the Detroit Pistons in the 2003-04 season. This team was one of the favorites to win the gold medal. Despite the presence of some of the most prominent American stars, the US did not win the gold. In fact, they didn’t even make the final. They lost to the eventual winners, Argentina, in the semi-finals, 89-81. This Argentina team was one of the best ..read more

In the annals of the greatest point guards, Bob Cousy stands alone. The first great floor general, he set the standard for next generation of point guards with his unparalleled ball distribution and fast paced style of play. A Celtics legend, Cousy was originally drafted by the Tri-Cities Blackhawks (currently the Atlanta Hawks). Cousy, who had attended the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts, did not want to move to the Tri-Cities area, and refused to play for the Blackhawks. He was then signed by the Chicago Stags, and when they folded, he was assigned to the Boston Celti ..read more

  In the last few years, there has been a growing shift towards the analytics side of basketball. Formerly unknown analytics maestros like Daryl Morey are now becoming more recognized, and their principles are being used to build teams that can contend for championships. A core tenet of sports analytics is stripping away the bias that is inherently present in humans, allowing for an evaluation of players at face value. Though the sports analytics movement has gained traction in NBA circles, many fans still haven’t embraced it, which precludes them from understanding certain trades and s ..read more