FALL 2022
The 2021-2022 Liaoning Flying Leopards: The Best Championship Team in Franchise History
AUTHORS
Yecheng Yue, University of Pennsylvania (Moneyball Academy)
Jason Shi, University of Pennsylvania (Moneyball Academy)
Sirius Xiao, University of Pennsylvania (Moneyball Academy)
ABSTRACT
The Liaoning Flying Leopards won the Chinese Basketball Association championships in the 2017 and 2021 seasons. In both 2018 and 2019, the Leopards kept their 2017 lineup but lost to the Southern Tigers. In the past, people thought the 2017 team was better because the team was unstoppable on offense. Comparing the 2017-18 Flying Leopards to 2021-22 – we are analyzing whether the basketball league CBA’s 2022-21 season Flying Leopards is the best championship team in their franchise history using three distinct metrics: turnover ratio, TS%, efficiency differential. The 2020-21 Leopards had a lower offensive efficiency, but their defensive efficiency got better, thereby, having a higher efficiency differential. The 2022 Leopards have a more flexible squad and they are the best team in franchise history.
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