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Hey everyone,

I am a student at Hunter College in NYC studying economics and am really struggling with ways to start my Master's Thesis. I don't usually post here but I do read through certain topics that interest me and believe this is one of the best places to come for advanced analytic banter.

I'm posting because I've been very interested in this paper - http://college.holycross.edu/RePEc/spe/ ... in_NBA.pdf - for some time. It's about "The Length and Success of NBA Careers: Does College Production Predict Professional Outcomes?

However, being a novice at all this stuff, I am having a difficult time coming up with a way to find a data set that I could use to try and recreate this research and even expand upon it and put my own spin on it for my thesis. I'm getting very desperate, so I decided to post here as a long shot to see if anyone could provide any insight or would be willing to give me some advice, of any kind on how to put together my own data set/find a similar one.

If I can't find anything soon I will have to switch topics to something that doesn't interest me as much as basketball and I really don't want to do that. Any advice is welcomed at this point!

Thank you very much!

The paper you cite seems alright but there are more recent papers that might be better. Have you looked at the Sloan Ports Conference papers, done a Google or Google Scolar search or looked at what has been posted at 82games.com?

As for a data set, between basketball reference, draftexpress and what you might be able to get from Layne Vashro, Dan Dickey, Kevin Pelton, Aaron Barazali or a few others, I'd think you'd be able to test a number of questions. You should probably look at rate stats per 100 possessions and consider adjustments for SRS of team opponents and I'd try to adjust for counterpart matchup opponents too.

If you are having difficulty getting traction, I'd suggest you admit it and really consult with your adviser and other potentially helpful professors and fellow students immediately and regularly. Make a timetable for the 10-100 things that need doing and stay on schedule, attacking each earnestly with a focus on task completion. Do not make the mistake of thinking of everything at once, alone, believing it will tomorrow or next week all fall into place like perhaps lesser undergraduate papers did.

Another specific thing you could do is track down the authors of this and maybe a few other papers. Ask them for ideas they had but didn't pursue or thought of later. Bounce a few of your ideas off them. If you are having trouble getting rare or already nicely formatted data, see if they can help directly or with leads to others.

Depending on where you are "on the clock" it might be ok that you haven't got it all sorted out yet; but you have to demonstrate to everyone that you are seeking information or assistance from that you are making an organized and energetic effort and not just huffing and puffing in a vague and unfocused way. Cut almost every distraction way down til you have a clear plan and are making good progress. Or really until you are actually done with the draft and all the necessary edits and extensions.

3 of the 4 I referenced regarding datasets could probably be reached by private message here and at least 3 of the 4 via twitter.

If you post a list of specific ideas / questions or a first rough draft outline, you might get some feedback. It might be too much to expect others to come up with much on these from scratch.

What kind of data are you looking for? I myself am working on a thesis, and would be happy to help with data if I have similar to what youre looking for. I do have a lot.

Thank you for the input Crow, it was very helpful.

I'm looking to go the scouting route and would really like to try and come up with a good way to project draft position or at least project players that would be better suited to perform well in the NBA.

I've narrowed it down to using any 2-3 years between 1998 and 2004 drafts, as that would be at least a 10 year NBA career to measure against.

@nrestifo - Looking for datasets with College and NBA player data (PTS, ASTS, FG%, STL, BLK, PER, etc.). Have you come up with your topic, yet?

Thanks for the responses!

If you're doing position, I would strongly suggest using the measurements wingspan and standing reach. Short power forwards who do well in the NBA, for instance, usually have huge wingspans. DraftExpress has a single page that shows every measurement, but I think the first draft that's covered well is in like 2001 or 2002.