Data-Driven Insights for the Minnesota Timberwolves: Elevating Performance & Injury Prevention
The Minnesota Timberwolves desired an efficient method to utilize game loading data, player performance information, and biomechanical insights to enhance player performance, optimize training loads, and minimize injury risks for their athletes.
The Challenge
- Multiple data sources across training, competition, health, and performance monitoring needed centralized integration.
- Dynamic data environment, requiring continuous adaptation to new technologies, evolving player needs, and coaching strategies.
- Rapid processing and actionable insights were essential for coaches and medical staff to make real-time decisions.
- Disjointed data streams from various hardware and software platforms—including Kinexon, Catapult, ForceDecks, and ForceFrame—needed to be standardized for seamless analysis.
- Stakeholder demand for automated, customized reports that present meaningful insights, reducing reliance on manual Excel-based analysis.
- Scalable solution required to allow ongoing adjustments as new performance metrics and analytical methods emerged.
Objectives
Our goal is to enhance the Timberwolves’ data ecosystem by integrating data management, insight generation, and education to drive performance and decision-making.
- Optimize Data Management: Audit and restructure existing data systems to ensure seamless integration of tracking technologies (e.g., Kinexon, ForceDecks, Catapult). Improve data extraction and processing workflows to enable real-time insights for coaching and medical staff.
- Generate Actionable Insights: Develop custom dashboards and automated reports that deliver clear, data-driven guidance on training, recovery, and performance optimization. Create individualized and team-wide analyses to support strategic decision-making.
- Educate & Empower Staff: Provide training in sports science, biomechanics, and data analytics, enabling staff to interpret insights effectively and apply data-driven strategies across coaching, performance, and front-office operations.
By bridging data collection with insight generation, our objective is to equip the Timberwolves with the tools, knowledge, and processes to optimize performance, injury prevention, and decision-making in an ever-evolving sports environment.
Strategies & Implementation
- Assess Data Utilization & Opportunities: Conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the Timberwolves’ current data ecosystem, identifying strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and gaps in data collection, processing, and application.
- Define Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) & New Insight Pathways: Engage directly with coaches, performance staff, and medical teams to establish critical KPIs and explore new data-driven approaches that enhance training, recovery, and player management.
- Automate & Optimize Data Processing: Utilize database management, AI-driven analysis, and coding solutions to streamline and accelerate data processing, enabling faster, more efficient insights and allowing staff to focus on strategic decision-making rather than manual data handling.
Solutions
- Original API codes created and implemented to expedite extraction of information
- ETL processes developed to clean and reshape data into desired KPIs
- Custom reports developed with R, Python, and Power BI that are updated daily and used by stakeholder for decision making
- Custom proprietary KPIs created to combine multiple performance metrics into a single index for use in creating individualized care prescriptions
Interested in Our Services?
Optimize performance with data-driven solutions. Experts in sports science, biomechanics, data decoding, and personalized training strategies.