Professional basketball has truly become a sport that generates interest among fans around the world. More and more players come from outside the United States to play in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Many factors could impact the number of wins achieved by each NBA team. In addition to the number of wins, the file NBA2010 contains team statistics for points per game (for team, opponent, and the difference between team and opponent), field goal (shots made) percentage (for team, opponent, and the difference between team and opponent), steals per game (for team, opponent, and the difference between team and opponent), rebounds per game (for team, opponent, and the difference between team and opponent).
a. Consider team points per game, opponent points per game, team field goal percentage, opponent field goal percentage, steals per game, and rebounds per game as independent variables for possible inclusion in the multiple regression model. Develop the most appropriate multiple regression model to predict the number of wins.
b. Consider the difference between team points and opponent points per game, the difference between team field goal percentage and opponent field goal percentage, the difference in team and opponent steals, and the difference between team and opponent rebounds per game as independent variables for possible inclusion in the multiple regression model. Develop the most appropriate multiple regression model to predict the number of wins.
c. Compare the results of (a) and (b). Which model is better for predicting the number of wins? Explain.