Originally Posted by Atticus Grinch (Post 478818)

That line down the exact center of the key is too thin and too straight to be valid. My guess is that however the data was entered (by sensor or by data entry by a human) there was a tendency to report a shot from that centerline (i.e. X-axis value of precisely zero) as opposed to slightly from the left or right. Only Imperial Stormtroopers are so precise.

Originally Posted by Atticus Grinch (Post 478818)

That line down the exact center of the key is too thin and too straight to be valid. My guess is that however the data was entered (by sensor or by data entry by a human) there was a tendency to report a shot from that centerline (i.e. X-axis value of precisely zero) as opposed to slightly from the left or right. Only Imperial Stormtroopers are so precise.

Originally Posted by Flinty_McFlint (Post 478820)

Yeah, or it could be the cumulative effect of the shots made by free throw shooters getting their own rebound off a missed free throw.

Originally Posted by Atticus Grinch (Post 478821)

Bzzt! The artifact can be seen all the way past the 3-point line -- how many free throw shooters run backward that far? I still think the best explanation is that some shots made from near the centerline are being marked as exactly on the centerline, due to some kind of perceptual bias by the observers.

But it's not terribly important.

Originally Posted by Atticus Grinch (Post 478818)

That line down the exact center of the key is too thin and too straight to be valid. My guess is that however the data was entered (by sensor or by data entry by a human) there was a tendency to report a shot from that centerline (i.e. X-axis value of precisely zero) as opposed to slightly from the left or right. Only Imperial Stormtroopers are so precise.

Originally Posted by Hank Chinaski (Post 478829)

so did Te'o slip because of size, or apparent stupidness?

Originally Posted by Mmmm, Burger (C.J.) (Post 478831)

Because Alabama hung 28 points on his defense in the first half.

Originally Posted by Mmmm, Burger (C.J.) (Post 478830)

The bias seems to apply only to made shots, not misses, as the line seems particularly red. Explain, Obi-Wan. And it's not because sand people walk in single file.

Originally Posted by Hank Chinaski (Post 478829)

so did Te'o slip because of size, or apparent stupidness?

Originally Posted by Hank Chinaski (Post 478833)

plus when you scale the graph up to size "the line" might be a few feet thick.

Originally Posted by Mmmm, Burger (C.J.) (Post 478830)

The bias seems to apply only to made shots, not misses, as the line seems particularly red. Explain, Obi-Wan. And it's not because sand people walk in single file.

Originally Posted by Atticus Grinch (Post 478837)

If the observations are being logged by people (rather than by sensors), perhaps made shots are disproportionally perceived to be from the center of the court because the ball drops straight. A missed FG bounces off the rim and any angle of the rebound will subtly cue the observer to record the the shot was taken from a slight angle.

Bazinga!