Database Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 8-21. The four quadrant scatterplot
Don't you think this is an interesting way to compare the players? They're divided based on
whether they scored an above or below average number of goals, and whether they took an
above or below average number of shots in their careers. (Remember that when we say “av-
erage,” we're referring to the mean value of the top 100 players (minus the 16 without shot
statistics), so there's nothing “average” about this group from an overall point of view. Our
comparison is relative to players within this group.)
I would consider the relative few number of players in the top-left quadrant to be the most
accurate shooters of the group. Why? They scored an above average number of goals while
shooting a below average number of times. In contrast, the group in the bottom-right quad-
rant (populated mostly with defensemen) are the least accurate shooters of the group. They
scored a below average number of goals while shooting an above average number of times.
If you've watched hockey, you know that the defensemen typically stay the farthest from the
goal, unleashing powerful slapshots from greater distances, so let's not be too harsh in our
assessment of their accuracy. Nevertheless, in the bottom-right quadrant they remain.
The top right and bottom left are the high and low relative producers, respectively, We can
label these areas by right-clicking in the grid area and selecting
Annotate
→
Area
, and then
typing in the quadrant names. The finished quadrant scatterplot is shown in
Figure 8-22
.
