analytics must prefer lefties

DH is also a natural left hander. He broke his wrist in high school so he learned to use his right hand and it stayed.

 

Murrah never came toy door with two ipads.

 

Left handed people are the only ones in their right minds.

 

Good thread and observation, most players are used to forcing folks left and in the heat of the battle they revert to it for a spell and it is an advantage.

DD

 

I am a lefty, and I do not think it made a noticeable difference when I played competitively. There is not a clear difference like in baseball.

 

Weird. I'm a lefty and was about to say the opposite. I feel like people have a harder time guarding against left handed layups, for example, cause they're not as used to people going that way.

 

I know I do.

I do think being left handed gives you something of an advantage. And if the Rockets staff has somehow been able to represent this analytically, then it wouldn't surprise me.

 

I like your thread topic, but I have to mention that it's illegal to have children marry one another and it's also illegal to force them into working. #NSAreading

 

Ah, the real JR is back. The algorithm J.R. would probably be upset but I'm not sure he/it is sentient.

 

Hmm... interesting to hear. When you are playing defence, do you prefer people driving to your left or to your right? I preferred them driving to my left (offensive players right) since it is my dominant side. I would think right handers preferred them going to their right (offensive players left), since they are right dominant. I would think right-handed defenders would be better suited against left-handers.

 

Are you speaking from the perspective of a right-hander or left-hander?

 

I'm a righty.

I have also found that left handers seem to be better shooters, but I think that's more coincidence than science.

 

with the majority of people being right handed they are naturally inclined to defend and move in certain ways -- lefties are the exact opposite. Thats why left handed batters are big in baseball.

defenders are not used to moving laterally to their left or playing angles to their left - the majority of their lives they are used to defending right handed people. When they go to block a shot they lean towards their right.

as a leftie when it comes to basketball (i am right handed otherwise) its a huge advantage

I am sure having skills and being left handed is what they look for -- you can be a leftie but with no skills it is worthless.

 

Wouldn't it be easier to guard against lefty lay-ups as a righty? You don't have to reach across your body to block the shot.

 

Could not say that about me until the collegiate level

I am rethinking things, but I still think right-handed defenders have an easier time guarding left-handed players because of an easier shot contest. Although an easy left-handed layup would be driving right the finishing middle, but that is a hard contest no matter what dominant hand. That is just from my personal experience, but I am rethinking it right now.

 

So are you saying people's muscle memory is not used to sliding the opposite way? Therefore, a lefties strength would match against the defender's weakness?

 

Yes... it's more of a muscle memory argument.

 

Being right handed, I got used to blocking shots with my left hand against right handed players. When a lefty shoots, I still go up with my left to block, which is a major disadvantage. Bottom line is that being different is an advantage in sports, although not as big in basketball as something like tennis or baseball.

 

Ok. That makes sense, never thought of it that way. Interesting...

 

Yeah, that makes sense too. Just never actually thought of it that way!