Pragmatic AI: An Introduction to Cloud-Based Machine Learning, First Edition

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Predicting Social-Media Influence in the NBA

Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships.

Michael Jordan

Sports is a fascinating topic for data scientists because there is always a story behind every number. Just because an NBA player scores more points than another player, it doesn’t necessarily mean he adds more value to the team. As a result, there has been a recent explosion in individual statistics that try to measure a player’s impact. ESPN created the Real Plus-Minus, FiveThirtyEight came up with the CARMELO NBA Player Projections, and the NBA has the Player Impact Estimate. Social media is no different; there is more to the story than just a high follower count.

This chapter will explore the numbers behind the ...