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Graph-Based Quantification of Basketball Spacing Using Spatial and Network Metrics

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2025-12-27
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Copyright (c) 2025 Apostolos Tsiakalos, Anastasios Tsiakalos

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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Tsiakalos, A., & Tsiakalos, A. (2025). Graph-Based Quantification of Basketball Spacing Using Spatial and Network Metrics. Stadium - Hungarian Journal of Sport Sciences, 8(2). https://doi.org/10.36439/shjs/2025/2/15953
Abstract

In modern basketball, effective player spacing is critical for optimizing offensive efficiency and shot quality. This paper proposes a novel approach to quantifying spacing using graph theory. Each player is represented as a node, and the pairwise Euclidean distances between them form the weighted edges of a complete graph. We compute several spatial and structural metrics, including total spacing, convex hull area, minimum spanning tree weight, and centrality measures. Our method allows for a frame-by-frame quantitative analysis of spacing, revealing key patterns associated with successful possessions. Results demonstrate that certain geometric and network-derived properties are strong indicators of tactical efficiency.