The Doppelgänger Machine feels like it’s seen this show. You’ll see why, but first new readers might be asking: Just what the hell is a Doppelgänger Machine?
So glad you asked. Each year — generally in dog days of the NBA offseason, when teams are busy chasing down young players for two-way contracts and training camp deals — I dig into my bag of spreadsheet tricks and run a handmade algorithm that tells me which players in NBA history had seasons “most similar” to players on the Wizards roster.
My approach factors age and an array of pace-neutral statistical factors like minutes played, usage, preferred shot types, offensive and defensive rebounding, assists, steals, blocks, turnovers, fouls, scoring, and an overall measure of the player’s production relative to era.