Book Highlight: “Sprawlball: A Visual Tour of the New Era of the NBA”

Kirk Goldsberry introduces fans to the NBA in a visually-friendly way.

In Kirk Goldsberry’s new book Sprawlball: A Visual Tour of the New Era of the NBA. the author covers a wide variety of visual representations and anecdotes of how the NBA has changed in the last two decades. If the author’s name sounds familiar to you, it’s because Goldsberry served earlier this decade as the Spurs’ Vice President of Strategic Research, working closely with PATFO on the latest analytical trends in the NBA.

Interesting tidbits that I have read so far:

  • Goldsberry credits the famed Eurostep to a recently-retired Manu Ginobili, who introduced and weaponized the move, and which later enhanced the careers of James Harden and other wing players that have adopted and expanded on Manu’s elegance.
  • There’s a section dedicated to LeBron James‘ runs to the finals throughout this decade and the Spurs’ battles with the Heat in 2013 and 2014.
  • One of the more zany ideas that Goldsberry proposes is not only eliminating the corner three point shot that the Spurs and nearly all of the other NBA teams have long coveted, but giving home teams an option to determine what their three point line would look like!

So far it has been an excellent read. The book is currently available for pre-order on Amazon (33% off the retail price) and Barnes and Noble (30% off) and will be shipped out at the end of month.

Book Highlight: “Sprawlball: A Visual Tour of the New Era of the NBA”
Source: Pounding The Rock

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