Beyond the Box Score: A Detail-Oriented Approach to NBA Team Building
The human brain often boils complex problems down to one or two data points and fails to see the bigger picture. In the NBA, most teams are plagued by misconceptions fueled largely by our innate cognitive biases. To overcome these misconceptions and build a successful team, one must understand the foundational element of successful teams: efficiency. Building an efficient team requires success in the draft, which entails finding great players and acquiring them for appropriate draft capital. All winning franchises have adopted the contrarian mindset required to overcome their biases and follow this procedure in some manner.
About Michael Neff
Michael Neff is a graduating senior at Wakefield School and will be attending the University of Virginia next fall. While undecided in terms of a major, Michael is working towards a career in the front office of an NBA franchise. The motivating factor behind his thesis was to gain a better understanding and appreciation for basketball as an intellectual exercise rather than a mere form of entertainment. Michael is especially interested in the NBA Draft given the uncertain nature of prospect evaluation and projecting performance to the next level. Â In his spare time, Michael evaluates NBA Draft prospects, culminating to a Top 100 Big Board at the end of each draft cycle. His thesis informed both his prospect evaluation skill and his broader knowledge of basketball as a whole.