Optimizing Performance in Basketball: A Game-Theoretic Approach to Shot Percentage Distribution in a Team

Abstract

In this paper we propose a shot percentage distribution strategy among the players of a basketball team to maximize the score that can be achieved by them. The approach is based on the concepts of game theory that are related to network flow. The paper starts with drawing similarity between network flow problem and passing sequence in basketball. The concept of Price of anarchy was applied in the basketball. Different strategies that can be used by teams are evaluated and compared with the proposed strategy that consider the players shooting behavior as the game progresses. The work also looks at the interaction of different participating players and how their collective behavior can be used to achieve an optimum performance. The paper explains that giving the ball to the best player of the team to take a shot might not be the best strategy to maximize the team’s overall score.