How to use a Shot Chart

Henry Abbott linked to a good article which describes the way that Shane Battier uses a shot chart and charting program in his defense against Kobe Bryant:

The data essentially broke down the floor into many discrete zones and calculated the odds of Bryant making shots from different places on the court...how well he scored off screens, off pick-and-rolls, off catch-and-shoots and so on.

180Shooter.com's Shot Tracker program provides the same type of information to coaches so they can learn about and assist their players. How is that valuable?

The numbers show him that Allen Iverson is one of the most efficient scorers in the N.B.A. when he goes to his right; when he goes to his left he kills his team. The Golden State Warriors forward Stephen Jackson is an even stranger case. "Steve Jackson," Battier says, "is statistically better going to his right, but he loves to go to his left - and goes to his left almost twice as often."

If you coached Iverson, wouldn't you use this information? Wouldn't you structure your offense to get Iverson or Jackson going to their right, rather than to their left?

Then, during the off-season, wouldn't you work on their finishing and productivity off a left-hand dribble?

As for Kobe:

When he shoots directly after receiving a pass, he is more efficient than when he shoots after dribbling.

As his coach, isn't that important to know? Wouldn't you work harder to run him off screens for catch-and-shoot shots rather than depending on him to create his own shot off the dribble?

This type of information could greatly increase the effectiveness of a team's offense (if you played to each player's strengths), and the effectiveness of a coach's off-season training program (by attacking some of the weaknesses).

I designed 180Shooter so youth and high school coaches would have easy access to this information so they could help their players improve and run more efficient offenses that used their players' strengths.