Fresh Start!

Hi all!

This is my first post, I will make it a quick one. As you might have guessed from the title, I am interested in the science behind what makes a team/player perform well. I will try to approach this issue both from a statistical point of view (similar to what ESPN's John Hollinger does) but also from a more "in-game" perspective. I tend to think that although statistical reductionism is interesting and useful, a team's/player's excellence go far beyond quantifiable measurements. For example, what measure can quantify help-defense, or efficient without-the-ball movement? We will try to explore these issues, and possibly understand a bit more about our beloved game.

A bit about myself: I have a degree in psychology, and I am currently doing my PhD in face processing at Cambridge University, UK. In my studies lots of maths and stats were a requirement, which gives me some confidence to approach the statistical challenges of basketball.

I have been living in the UK for 10 years now, but I am born and raised in Greece. I grew up at a time when bball was the most popular sport, after we won the 1987 European Championship. I have been playing bball for... well... almost 25 years... (I am 30...)

More very soon, watch this space!