Data used in the manuscript - A Hierarchical Approach for Evaluating Athlete Performance with an Application in Elite Basketball

The database contains several datasets and files with NBA statistical data spanning four seasons (2015-2016 to 2018-2019). These datasets were procured from the Basketball Reference database (https://www.basketball-reference.com/), a publicly accessible source of NBA data. 

The main file, `dat.cleaned.csv`, includes the Win/Loss records for all thirty NBA teams, along with box scores and advanced statistics. The data captured over the four seasons correspond to about 4,920 regular-season games. A distinguishing feature of this dataset is the repeated measurements per player within a team across the seasons. However, it's important to note that these repeated measurements are not independent, necessitating the use of hierarchical modelling to properly handle the data.

Two sets of additional text files (`per_2017.txt`, `per_2018.txt`, `rpm_2017.txt`, `rpm_2018.txt`) provide specific metrics for player performance. The 'PER' files contain the Athlete Efficiency Rating (PER) for the years 2017 and 2018. The 'RPM' files contain the ESPN-developed score called Real Plus-Minus (RPM) for the same years.

However, potential biases or limitations within the datasets should be acknowledged. For instance, the Basketball Reference website might not include data from some matches or may exclude certain variables, potentially affecting the quality and accuracy of the dataset.