How fast breaks work and match engine’s status

                                                    
Our game members often ask if we plan to work on improving the match engine soon. Unfortunately the answer in recent seasons is always the same:
We don`t see possibilities to include updating the match engine to our plans for at least the nearest few seasons.
 
The biggest problem with match engine’s updates is that it is impossible to make it perfect.
Whatever match engine will be, half of the community's teams each day will lose the match.
Yes, we definitely see many places where match engine is not working well, but the most users’ complaints are not about these places. And in the game’s history some match engine’s features were changed even few times in 100% opposite directions. 

 
Few seasons ago we explained the situation why we have big three point shots’ percentage and gave the statistics how it depends on players` shot contesting skill.
It is highly recommended article for reading and you can find this article here:

 
This time I will try to analyse the situation with fast breaks.
Why your team does not have possibilities to do fast breaks?
First of all, everybody should identify situations when fast-breaks are possible. In the game there are two possibilities to start a fast break attack:
  • after a steal
  • after a rebound in defence
The highest chance to initiate fast-break is after a steal. So, the team that manages to make more steals has more chances to create opportunities for fast breaks.
Possibility to start fast break after a rebound strongly depends on opponent’s team tactics.
If your opponent fights hard for offensive rebounds, you will have more chances to start a fast break.
And on the opposite: if the opponent does not fight for offensive rebounds, it may be very difficult to initiate a fast break after a rebound in defence.
 
If the ball was rebounded by a big player, he tries to make a quick pass to guards. 
One of the things that we want to improve in the match engine is bigger dependency on skills in this situation. 
Big players with good passing and offence IQ skills should be better at creating situations for fast breaks. Currently we also have this dependence but the influence is too small.
 
The count of rebounds is also a factor that users often forget. Sometimes team does not get many rebounds in defence and this also reduces possibilities to make fast break attacks. 
Such situation can be due to various reasons:
  • your team makes many fouls and opponent often shoots free-throws.
  • opponent is shooting very accurately.
  • opponent is making many turnovers.
 
In both cases (steals and rebounds) there also is team tactics that can increase a bit the chances to have more opportunities for a fast breaks:
  • fast game pace
  • setting of fast breaks
  • man-to-man defence
 
Now let's talk about the skills. 
One of the most important criteria for ability to run fast breaks is: players` skills.
In the game fast-breaks are basically run by one person (PG or SG). This player should have good speed and dribbling skills.
If the defender has good speed and defence IQ skills, he can stop fast break even before it begins. So, in order to create a fast break attempt, it is quite important that your player’s skills would be better than the defender’s skills.
 
The success of fast break mostly depends on:
  • fast break’s situation
  • both players’ skills (the player who has the ball and the player who is trying to defend him)
During dribbling phase, the player’s height also makes big influence. 200cm player will be slower than 180cm player with the same speed skill.
So smaller players have bigger chances to dribble the ball and "overtake" the opponent.
During the shooting phase, player’s skill to shoot close range shots also increases chances of success.
 
Some statistics about players and teams that make fast breaks. Unfortunately, it is not so easy to gather the statistics as it was with three point shots. But still it can give you some ideas.
 
Players in WL 1.1 that made the most fast break attempts this season:
  1. Ti Cheng: http://www.bballzone.net/lt/Zaidejas-aprasymas-1540514.htm
    Made: 31 shots in fast breaks. Missed: 19
  2. Geng Dan: http://www.bballzone.net/lt/Zaidejas-aprasymas-1525141.htm
    Made: 28 shots in fast breaks. Missed: 10
  3. Qiu Nen: http://www.bballzone.net/lt/Zaidejas-aprasymas-1563293.htm
    Made: 27 shots in fast breaks. Missed: 14
Team in WL 1.1 that made the most fast break attempts this season:
  • Nrivana
    112 successful fast breaks in this season (missed 68 shots)
 
The most fast break attempts in “shooting” phase were stopped by these players:
 
We don`t have possibility to “track” which players stopped fast-breaks by provoking turnovers, but the above listed data can also give some ideas on determining what is important for running and stopping fast breaks.
 
We hope that this information will help to understand better how fast breaks work in the game.

 
Please, write in comments what part of the match engine is the most difficult to understand and we will try to write a similar article about it, too.


-- 63 сез. 50 д.
New article about match engine - fast breaks. Read and find out more about how it works.
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Показать скрытые ответы: 46
That was the championship games that he had no clue how to finish and the years prior to that as well in 2004, 2005, and 2006. -- 63 сез. 62 д.
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Let’s keep it going by naming another of the all-time best - Kobe Bryant 1997 playoffs vs Utah Jazz with four air ball his rookie season and one of the best closers ever to play. -- 63 сез. 62 д.
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Here is a great comparison that an Argentinian and Italian should appreciate. Who would you choose to close a game 7 final, A 36 year old Many Lost a step Ginobi or donovan mitchell? Anyone that has watched any basketball the last 20 years knows and would take the 36 year old Ginoblli. Mitchell.may outplay Ginobli for most of the game, but game on the line, I am taking Ginobli. -- 63 сез. 62 д.
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