Analytics Guides: Volume 2 - Going Beyond the Box Score

More history, the four factors, and a Kristaps Porzingis cameo appearance

Photo by Leigh Ellis

This is the second article in our special Analytics Guides series. In a nutshell, the idea is to provide some background on how analytics evolved in the NBA and to help you learn more about it to understand the game of basketball better.

More importantly, in each volume, I'll explain a key concept that will help you view NBA stats, my articles, and the game itself in a different light (today's concept on the Four Factors is a big one!). I'll also try to add Mavericks context wherever possible.

If you missed the first article and want to learn more about the Analytics Guides, the idea, and the reasoning behind it, then Volume 1 - Intro and History is the place to start.

Now, let's dig into the next part of analytics history, a hidden subplot from the NBA Finals, and the second key concept that will be a foundational block for all our future analysis!