Breaking Down NBA Playoff Matchups Through Advanced Analytics

Breaking Down NBA Playoff Matchups Through Advanced Analytics

From Wharton Moneyball by The Wharton School

May 20, 2026 · 1h 3m

About this episode

The episode features Ben Alamar discussing NBA playoff analytics and various sports metrics.

Ben Alamar, Author of Sports Analytics: A Guide for Managers, Coaches, and Other Decision Makers?, joins the Wharton Moneyball crew to analyze Victor Wembanyama’s playoff performances, explain advanced defensive metrics, debate NBA draft evaluation methods, and reflect on championship-building strategies across today’s NBA. The team also explores the “hot hand” phenomenon, debates managerial impact in baseball, analyzes NHL playoff momentum, and examines why unpredictability makes golf and tennis so compelling for sports analytics fans. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

People in this episode

Guest: Ben Alamar

Topics covered

  • NBA playoffs
  • advanced analytics
  • defensive metrics
  • NBA draft evaluation
  • championship strategies
  • hot hand phenomenon
  • sports unpredictability

Keywords

  • NBA
  • playoffs
  • analytics
  • defensive metrics
  • draft evaluation
  • hot hand
  • baseball
  • NHL
  • golf
  • tennis

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Sports Analytics: A Guide for Managers, Coaches, and Other Decision Makers?

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