Q: WHY ARE TEMPO AND POSSESSIONS SO IMPORTANT IN PREDICTING THE SCORE OF AN NBA BASKETBALL GAME?
A: The first step in predicting the score of an NBA game is determining the game tempo and estimating the number of possessions. During the course of the game, teams move the ball up and down the court switching from offense to defense alternating possession of the basketball.
Because possessions switch back and forth sequentially, each team will have the same number of possessions as their opponent. Tempo refers to the speed at which possessions alternate. Will the game be played at an attacking fast-break pace, a slow-it-down walk-it-up speed, or somewhere in between? Typically, 90-93 possessions per game is a slow tempo, 94-97 is average and 98-100 is fast.
An accurate estimate of possessions is essential because possessions serve as the starting point for determining the number of scoring opportunities that each team will have. The faster a game is played the more scoring opportunities there will be. Remember, since possession of the ball alternates back and forth sequentially in a basketball game, the number of possessions that each team has must be the same.
