Papa-Yaw's In-Class Activity Pt 2.

Papa-Yaw Afari April 24, 2025

VR Basketball Visualization GUide

Basketball Basics: Understanding the Court

Before jumping into today’s immersive activity, here’s a quick breakdown of the three main shooting zones in basketball:

Paint Area ("The Paint")
- The rectangular zone near the basket.
- High-percentage shots taken here (layups, dunks, post moves).
- Also referred to as the key or lane.
Midrange Area
- Located between the paint and the 3-point line.
- Typically includes free-throw jumpers and pull-ups from just outside the paint.
- Less efficient in modern basketball but still used strategically.
3-Point Area
- Any shot taken from behind the 3-point arc.
- Worth 3 points (vs. 2 points for all others).
- Higher difficulty and spacing value.

Activity: Visualizing Jayson Tatum’s 50-Point Game

You’ll explore a 3D representation of Jayson Tatum’s shot-chart/shot-diet (where he decided to shoot/the amount of shots he took) during one of his most iconic games using a VR headset/laptop display.

Goal: Track where his shots were taken and analyze patterns.

Controls:

Use the trigger to pull and move the structure.
Use the analog stick to rotate or navigate around the court.
Link: https://striped-squirrel.surge.sh/

BUT FIRST: Known Bugs / Current Limitations

Laggy VR Mode: Entering VR makes the site extremely slow.
Cause: Too many requests being sent at once to animate shots.
Planned Fix: Introducing a timeout or batch the shot animations for better performance.
VR vs. 2D Comparison: The 3D version may feel overwhelming or underwhelming depending on your headset experience and personal preference.

Guided Activity: Comparing 3D vs. 2D Shot Chart Tools

In today’s session, you’ll compare two tools that display basketball shot data:

VR Visualization: Built using WebXR, shows animated arcs of Jayson Tatum’s shots in a 3D court environment.
- Link was provided above
- 2D Shot Chart Tool: Built by Positive Residual (link below), shows shot distribution using a traditional top-down heatmap and dots.
- Link:https://striped-squirrel.surge.sh/

- Step-by-Step Instructions
- Step 1: Explore the VR Shot Chart
- Use a VR headset or your laptop to explore the 3D court.
- Observe the shot arcs, the zones labeled (“Paint”, “Midrange”, “3PT”), and where most shots come from.
- Try to estimate what zones are most active for Tatum.
- Step 2: Visit the 2D Shot Chart Tool
- Go to Positive Residual's Shot Chart
- In the dropdown:
- Choose: Jayson Tatum
- Adjust filters if needed, or stick to full-season data.
- Observe how shots are shown—colors, dot densities, and zones. This is more an exercise of look at how 2d data is presented. I do not expect everyone to understand everything on the website and such, again it's more of an activity to gauge which medium of sport analytics you have the viewer prefer.
- Also feel free to use the Web Version of the Website:https://striped-squirrel.surge.sh/

- Step 3: Reflect and Compare
- Which format is easier to understand?
- Fill out Google Form: form