Global Sport Business Journal

Abstract
The Pareto Principle, also known as the 80/20 rule, states that in general “80 percent of consequences stem from 20 percent of causes” (Bunkley, 2008, p. 1). This research examines the relationship between the 80/20 rule and the National Basketball Association (NBA) with respect to the distribution of individual player production through secondary data analysis and linear regression modeling. While there are only so many superstars to go around, this research examines the Pareto Principle as an analytic dashboard metric that league executives can look at to try to find success in the “Big Three Era.” Regression modeling from ten NBA seasons (2008/09 – 2017/18) shows a negative correlation between the 80/20 Principle and regular season wins, suggesting that NBA franchises be cautious of constructing top-heavy rosters. The equation and term “Simple Game Score” (SGS) is also introduced as a unique statistic.
Recommended Citation
Berner, Cole; Lupinek, Joshua M.; Arkell, Jim; and Keiper, Margaret
(2020)
"A Pareto Principle Analysis of the NBA: How Production Distribution Affects Team Success,"
Global Sport Business Journal: Vol. 8:
Iss.
1, Article 4.
Available at:
https://scholarworks.sfasu.edu/gsbj/vol8/iss1/4
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