Long before patrolling the sideline at NBA Summer League, Jordi Fernandez examined how the effectiveness of an offensive play can be determined by the team’s behavioral patterns before a shot goes up.
That was the subject of a 11-page academic article — complete with detailed charts, tables and a diagram of a full court — co-written by Fernandez in 2009 that appears in the 41st volume of the Behavior Research Methods scientific journal. The findings, the authors hope, will provide coaches with a new model to analyze how to efficiently call as well as construct various plays.
Fernandez is one published work away from earning his PhD in sports psychology.