---
title: "NBA Player Archetypes: The Relationship Between Defense and 3-Point Shooting"
subtitle: "2023-2024 Season | Four Player Archetypes Identified via K-means Clustering"
description: "Exploring the relationship between defensive contributions and 3-point shooting ability in NBA players for the 2023-2024 season, using K-means clustering to identify four distinct player archetypes. This visualization reveals how elite defenders rarely excel at 3-point shooting, while the league's best shooters often sacrifice defensive effort, highlighting the rarity and value of two-way stars like Victor Wembanyama."
author: "Steven Ponce"
date: "2025-04-13"
categories: ["30DayChartChallenge", "2025"]
tags: [
"NBA", "Basketball", "Cluster Analysis", "K-means", "ggplot2", "hoopR", "Player Analysis", "Sports Analytics", "Relationships", "Clusters"
]
image: "thumbnails/30dcc_2025_13.png"
format:
html:
toc: true
toc-depth: 5
code-link: true
code-fold: true
code-tools: true
code-summary: "Show code"
editor_options:
chunk_output_type: inline
execute:
freeze: true
cache: true
error: false
message: false
warning: false
eval: true
# filters:
# - social-share
# share:
# permalink: "https://stevenponce.netlify.app/data_visualizations/30DayChartChallenge/2025/30dcc_2025_13.html"
# description: "Day 13 of #30DayChartChallenge: Identifying NBA player archetypes through the relationship between defense and 3-point shooting using K-means clustering"
# twitter: true
# linkedin: true
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---
{#fig-1}
### <mark> **Steps to Create this Graphic** </mark>
#### 1. Load Packages & Setup
```{r}
#| label: load
#| warning: false
#| message: false
#| results: "hide"
## 1. LOAD PACKAGES & SETUP ----
suppressPackageStartupMessages({
pacman::p_load(
tidyverse, # Easily Install and Load the 'Tidyverse'
ggtext, # Improved Text Rendering Support for 'ggplot2'
showtext, # Using Fonts More Easily in R Graphs
janitor, # Simple Tools for Examining and Cleaning Dirty Data
skimr, # Compact and Flexible Summaries of Data
scales, # Scale Functions for Visualization
lubridate, # Make Dealing with Dates a Little Easier
hoopR, # Access Men's Basketball Play by Play Data
ggrepel, # Automatically Position Non-Overlapping Text Labels with 'ggplot2'
cluster, # "Finding Groups in Data": Cluster Analysis Extended Rousseeuw etal
camcorder # Record Your Plot History
)
})
### |- figure size ----
gg_record(
dir = here::here("temp_plots"),
device = "png",
width = 10,
height = 8,
units = "in",
dpi = 320
)
# Source utility functions
suppressMessages(source(here::here("R/utils/fonts.R")))
source(here::here("R/utils/social_icons.R"))
source(here::here("R/utils/image_utils.R"))
source(here::here("R/themes/base_theme.R"))
```
#### 2. Read in the Data
```{r}
#| label: read
#| include: true
#| eval: true
#| warning: false
# Get NBA player data for 2023-2024 season
players_2024_list <- nba_leaguedashplayerstats(season = "2023-24")
# Extract the data frame from the response
players_2024 <- players_2024_list$LeagueDashPlayerStats
```
#### 3. Examine the Data
```{r}
#| label: examine
#| include: true
#| eval: true
#| results: 'hide'
#| warning: false
glimpse(players_2024)
skim(players_2024)
```
#### 4. Tidy Data
```{r}
#| label: tidy
#| warning: false
### |- Tidy ----
player_stats <- players_2024 |>
# Make sure numeric columns are actually numeric
mutate(
GP = as.numeric(GP),
MIN = as.numeric(MIN),
STL = as.numeric(STL),
BLK = as.numeric(BLK),
FG3_PCT = as.numeric(FG3_PCT),
FT_PCT = as.numeric(FT_PCT)
) |>
# Filter for players with meaningful minutes
filter(GP >= 40, MIN >= 15) |>
# Calculate key metrics
mutate(
STL_per_game = STL / GP,
BLK_per_game = BLK / GP,
defensive_contribution = STL_per_game + BLK_per_game
) |>
# Select specific columns
select(
PLAYER_NAME, TEAM_ABBREVIATION,
GP, MIN,
STL_per_game, BLK_per_game, defensive_contribution,
FG3_PCT, FT_PCT
)
# Cluster df
cluster_data <- player_stats |>
filter(
!is.na(defensive_contribution),
!is.na(FG3_PCT),
!is.na(FT_PCT)
)
# Scale the variables for clustering
scaled_data <- cluster_data |>
select(defensive_contribution, FG3_PCT, FT_PCT) |>
scale()
# Apply k-means clustering with k=4
set.seed(123)
k <- 4
km_result <- kmeans(scaled_data, centers = k, nstart = 25)
# Add cluster assignments back to the data
cluster_data$cluster <- as.factor(km_result$cluster)
# Descriptive cluster labels
centers <- as.data.frame(km_result$centers)
colnames(centers) <- c("defensive_contribution", "FG3_PCT", "FT_PCT")
# Create more meaningful cluster labels
cluster_labels <- c()
for(i in 1:k) {
def_val <- centers[i, "defensive_contribution"]
fg3_val <- centers[i, "FG3_PCT"]
ft_val <- centers[i, "FT_PCT"]
if(def_val > 0 && fg3_val > 0 && ft_val > 0) {
label <- "Two-Way Stars" # Good at everything
} else if(def_val > 0 && (fg3_val < 0 || ft_val < 0)) {
label <- "Defensive Specialists" # Good defense, weaker shooting
} else if(def_val < 0 && fg3_val > 0 && ft_val > 0) {
label <- "Offensive Specialists" # Good shooting, weaker defense
} else {
label <- "Role Players" # Average or below average
}
cluster_labels[i] <- label
}
# Map the labels to clusters
cluster_mapping <- setNames(cluster_labels, 1:k)
cluster_data$cluster_label <- cluster_mapping[cluster_data$cluster]
# Identify top players in each cluster (for labeling in the plot)
top_players <- cluster_data |>
group_by(cluster) |>
arrange(desc(defensive_contribution + FG3_PCT + FT_PCT)) |>
slice_head(n = 3) |>
ungroup()
```
#### 5. Visualization Parameters
```{r}
#| label: params
#| include: true
#| warning: false
### |- plot aesthetics ----
colors <- get_theme_colors(
palette = c(
"#D55E00",
"#CC79A7",
"#009E73",
"#0072B2"
)
)
### |- titles and caption ----
# text
title_text <- str_wrap("NBA Player Archetypes: The Relationship Between Defense and 3-Point Shooting",
width = 55)
subtitle_text <- str_wrap("2023-2024 Season | Four Player Archetypes Identified via K-means Clustering",
width = 100)
# Create caption
caption_text <- create_dcc_caption(
dcc_year = 2025,
dcc_day = 13,
source_text = "ESPN via { hoopR } package"
)
### |- fonts ----
setup_fonts()
fonts <- get_font_families()
### |- plot theme ----
# Start with base theme
base_theme <- create_base_theme(colors)
# Add weekly-specific theme elements
weekly_theme <- extend_weekly_theme(
base_theme,
theme(
# Text styling
plot.title = element_text(face = "bold", family = fonts$title, size = rel(1.14), margin = margin(b = 10)),
plot.subtitle = element_text(family = fonts$subtitle, color = colors$text, size = rel(0.78), margin = margin(b = 20)),
# Axis elements
axis.title = element_text(color = colors$text, size = rel(0.8)),
axis.text = element_text(color = colors$text, size = rel(0.7)),
axis.text.y = element_text(color = colors$text, size = rel(0.68)),
# Grid elements
panel.grid.minor = element_blank(),
# Legend elements
legend.title = element_text(family = fonts$text, size = rel(0.8)),
legend.text = element_text(family = fonts$text, size = rel(0.7)),
# Plot margins
plot.margin = margin(t = 10, r = 20, b = 10, l = 20),
)
)
# Set theme
theme_set(weekly_theme)
```
#### 6. Plot
```{r}
#| label: plot
#| warning: false
### |- Plot ----
p <- ggplot(
cluster_data,
aes(x = FG3_PCT, y = defensive_contribution,
color = cluster_label)
) +
# Geoms
geom_point(
alpha = 0.5,
size = 3
) +
geom_text_repel( # Label top players
data = top_players,
aes(label = PLAYER_NAME),
size = 3,
seed = 123,
max.overlaps = 15,
box.padding = 0.5,
segment.color = "grey50"
) +
geom_hline( # average lines
yintercept = mean(cluster_data$defensive_contribution),
linetype = "dashed",
color = "grey50",
alpha = 0.5
) +
geom_vline(
xintercept = mean(cluster_data$FG3_PCT),
linetype = "dashed",
alpha = 0.5
) +
# Scales
scale_y_continuous(
limits = c(-0.05, 5),
breaks = pretty_breaks()
) +
scale_x_continuous(
limits = c(-0.05, 1),
breaks = pretty_breaks()
) +
scale_color_manual(values = colors$palette) +
# Labs
labs(
title = title_text,
subtitle = subtitle_text,
caption = caption_text,
x = "3-Point Field Goal Percentage (FG3%)",
y = "Defensive Contribution (STL + BLK per game)",
color = "Player Archetype"
) +
# Annotate
annotate("text", x = -0.05, y = 3.75,
label = "Elite defenders rarely\nshoot well from deep",
size = 3.5, fontface = "italic", color = colors$palette[1], hjust = 0) +
annotate("text", x = 0.45, y = 3.65,
label = "Two-Way Stars are rare\nand highly valuable",
size = 3.5, fontface = "italic", color = colors$palette[2], hjust = 0) +
annotate("text", x = 0.02, y = 0,
label = "Role players contribute\nin less measurable ways",
size = 3.5, fontface = "italic", color = colors$palette[3], hjust = 0) +
annotate("text", x = 0.65, y = 1,
label = "Elite shooters often\nsacrifice defensive effort",
size = 3.5, fontface = "italic", color = colors$palette[4], hjust = 0) +
annotate("text", x = 0.03, y = 4, label = "Defensive Specialists",
color = colors$palette[1], fontface = "bold", size = 4) +
annotate("text", x = 0.35, y = 3.8, label = "Two-Way Stars",
color = colors$palette[2], fontface = "bold", size = 4) +
annotate("text", x = 0.08, y = 0.25, label = "Role Players",
color = colors$palette[3], fontface = "bold", size = 4) +
annotate("text", x = 0.75, y = 1.3, label = "Offensive Specialists",
color = colors$palette[4], fontface = "bold", size = 4) +
# Theme
theme(
plot.title = element_text(
size = rel(2),
family = fonts$title,
face = "bold",
color = colors$title,
margin = margin(t = 5, b = 5)
),
plot.subtitle = element_text(
size = rel(0.95),
family = fonts$subtitle,
color = alpha(colors$subtitle, 0.8),
lineheight = 1.2,
margin = margin(t = 5, b = 10)
),
plot.caption = element_markdown(
size = rel(0.6),
family = fonts$caption,
color = colors$caption,
lineheight = 0.65,
hjust = 0.5,
halign = 0.5,
margin = margin(t = 20, b = 5)
),
)
```
#### 7. Save
```{r}
#| label: save
#| warning: false
### |- plot image ----
save_plot(
p,
type = "30daychartchallenge",
year = 2025,
day = 13,
width = 10,
height = 8
)
```
#### 8. Session Info
::: {.callout-tip collapse="true"}
##### Expand for Session Info
```{r, echo = FALSE}
#| eval: true
#| warning: false
sessionInfo()
```
:::
#### 9. GitHub Repository
::: {.callout-tip collapse="true"}
##### Expand for GitHub Repo
The complete code for this analysis is available in [`30dcc_2025_13.qmd`](https://github.com/poncest/personal-website/blob/master/data_visualizations/TidyTuesday/2025/30dcc_2025_13.qmd).
For the full repository, [click here](https://github.com/poncest/personal-website/).
:::
#### 10. References
::: {.callout-tip collapse="true"}
##### Expand for References
1. Data Sources:
- ESPN via { hoopR } package: [hoopR](https://github.com/sportsdataverse/hoopR)
:::