Why Taking a Timeout in the NBA Might Not Be the Best Idea

Much of sports is a gamble. There’s a saying: “Any team can win any game on any given day.” Almost nothing, no outcome, is guaranteed in sports—and that’s part of the fun of watching and playing. 

But players and coaches want to eliminate as many variables as possible, trying to leave less up to chance. And that is where statistics come in. 

It might seem like a good idea to call a timeout in the NBA when the opposing team is on a scoring run—it could slow their momentum, change the energy of the game, right?  

Research from a University of Denver data analytics professor indicates otherwise. 

In this episode, Emma chats with Daniels College of Business professor Ryan Elmore about his work in sports analytics—and why taking a timeout in the midst of an NBA game might not be the solution to slowing an opposing team’s momentum.  

Ryan Elmore is an associate professor in the Department of Business Information and Analytics at the Daniels College of Business. Prior to Daniels, he worked as a senior scientist in the Computational Sciences Center at the National Renewable Energy Lab in Golden, Colorado. He has also held positions at the Australian National University, Colorado State University and Slide, Inc. 

Elmore’s research interests include statistics in sports, nonparametric statistical methods, and energy efficient high-performance computing. His work in sports statistics has led to the position of Associate Editor for the Journal of Quantitative Analysis of Sports (2015–present) and consultant to the Denver Nuggets professional basketball team. 

More Information: 

“The causal effect of a timeout at stopping an opposing run in the NBA”  

“Bang the Can Slowly: An Investigation into the 2017 Houston Astros”