NBA Defensive Role Lab

Explore the estimated impact of shifting a player’s Defensive Role, and identify which players and which coaches get the most out of role optimization, based on how a player’s physical tools and skills match the estimated requirements of the new job.

Positions are a relic of the past. What actually determines defensive value is the job a player is asked to do: who he guards, how much ground he covers, whether he is protecting the rim or chasing shooters. Put the wrong player in the wrong role and good defenders look bad.

This lab lets you move a player into a different defensive role and see what the model expects to happen, across 5,813 player seasons from 2015-16 to 2025-26.

This tool is part of a membership. For $5 a month you get every premium tool, all 700+ metrics, and every season we cover.

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