Published in Sports Data Science·PinnedThe Complete List of Sports Analytics ConferencesSports analytics continues to grow at an amazing pace. Even so, if you want to get into the industry you can’t just rely on raw skills — you also have to know the right people. That’s where conferences can be a great opportunity for you. Not only will you get…Sports2 min read
Published in R Tutorials·Feb 7, 2021R Functions: p_load()An alternative to loading packages using multiple library() calls — Base R gives you a simple way of loading packages into your R workspace by using the library() function. It’s a straight forward call that powers most of what you do past the basics. However — when you need to load multiple libraries — the library() call can get a…R2 min read
Published in R Tutorials·Dec 8, 2020How to Get Daily COVID-19 Data using RGetting numbers about the pandemic is not as hard as you think! — Yes, the pandemic sucks. But as someone who looks at data for a living, there are at least opportunities for growth, even in the worst of times! One way you can grow as a data scientist is to look at the ways infection rates affect other related variables (just be…Covid 193 min read
Published in R Tutorials·Jul 9, 2020R Function Tutorials: summarize()A function every R data scientist needs to be familiar with — Summary statistics are an essential first step to understanding your data. Luckily, the dplyr package has a super easy to use function that will allow you to quickly calculate summary stats. In this tutorial, we will: - Review the components of the summarize() function - Go over some use cases …R4 min read
Published in Sports Data Science·Jul 9, 2020NBA Shot Charts for Every Team Pre-COVID-19Using ggplot2 to figure out where teams were taking shots during the 2020 season before the pandemic — The NBA is coming back. At least, for a little while. We’ll see how well they hold up in the Orlando bubble surrounded by a pandemic hot zone. But enough of the sadness. Let’s talk actual basketball. It feels like forever since live NBA action. The last games were played…NBA5 min read
Jun 18, 2020The Confederacy was Probably Shorter than Your Favourite TV ShowHere’s a graph to put this into context — Data Science1 min read
May 8, 2020Writing Articles is Like Rolling DiceWhy are all of us writers so scared of failing? — I like to write. At least, that’s what I tell myself. But I’m 100% guilty of not writing consistently. I could blame it on a lot of things — both intrinsic and extrinsically motivated — but the reality is that I don’t write a lot because I’m scared of failing. …Writing2 min read
Apr 21, 2020Science Deserves More Good WritersHow can we get more consistent results in science communication? — I love science. Truly and deeply love it. But it’s not perfect. In fact, one of the defining characteristics that makes the field so special is also one of its biggest weaknesses when it comes to knowledge dissemination. Science is rigorous One of the things I love most about science is that scientists…Science3 min read
Published in Sports Data Science·Apr 21, 2020Books on Sports AnalyticsLearning how to do sports analytics in is a great way to learn data science and machine learning techniques. I recently ran across a Twitter thread that had a great bunch of recommendations for books to read on the subject. Here they are, outlined by category: Sports Analytics (General) Calculated Bets: Computers, Gambling…Sports3 min read
Published in Towards Data Science·Apr 21, 2020How to Get Data on Every NBA Player Using RThe beauty, simplicity, and speed of nbastatR — In this article you'll learn how to: - install and load nbastatR - get every NBA player loaded into R - get a player's career statistics The NBA season is on hold. Which, you could look at as a negative and just watch “The Last Dance” on repeat. Or, you…NBA4 min read
